Work Text:
Jester realized too late that maybe she should have taken Fjord up on the offer for water. Following the tall goddess, who Caduceus has said is named Yasha, to the gym with Beauregard and Fjord might have been a bad idea. The woman is lifting weights that not even Fjord can, though Jester won’t say that to the half-orc man. Sweat drips slowly down the line of a strong jaw and along a tendon in Yasha’s neck, Jester’s tongue licking her lips at the sight. A jab to her ribs brings Jester’s eyes away from where they had strayed to Yasha’s ass in those bike shorts. Beau is smirking at her, her eyebrow raised as she repeats her question.
“Huh? What’d you say, Beau?” Jester mumbles, mind already on the amount of little hearts she’ll draw around Yasha’s sketched face later.
“I asked how your sketches for the play are going? But I can see that you were a bit...preoccupied. To be fair, I stare at her like that too,” A wink follows Beau’s words, before she continues. “But don’t worry, I know you’re head-over-heels already. I won’t put the moves on her.”
“No, I most certainly am not, Beau!” Jester’s squeak of protest has carried across the enclosed gym and people are staring. Oh god, she’s staring. Yasha’s mismatched gaze is on her, brow furrowed in confusion. Jester’s face has to be deep purple by now, but she shyly waves at the pale woman across the way. Yasha waves back, her face pinking slightly but Jester can’t tell if that’s shyness or the flush of working out, but she can’t help but think how pretty Yasha is when she smiles.
The tiefling vividly remembers the smile on Yasha’s face at the park last week, those strong hands gentle as they cradled wildflowers in their palm. Jester had fallen a bit in love with the statuesque woman, her sketches proving this fact as Yasha is all over the pages as of late. Initially, Jester was certain that her infatuation with Yasha was simply due to the woman’s amazing figure and profile that was so easy to draw for her. But before long, she caught sight of her in places she never would have thought to see Yasha in and she found herself following the taller woman around, sketching her in various spaces and slowly learning more about the mysterious tall woman.
“Exandria to Jester? Best friends Fjord and Beau to Jester?” A green hand waves in her face, followed by a hand in blue wraps, taking shifts trying to catch her attention. “You think she’s in there? Or did she get sucked into her fairy tale land?” Fjord makes an appearance, a tusky grin and a sparse beard on his chiseled face. Her blue hands shove at Fjord’s chest, sputtering before crossing her arms with a huff.
“I am here. I was...just thinking of designs for next month’s show. You know, the one Beau’s in? Twelfth Night ? Fjord, you really have to start paying more attention to these things you know?” Her friends clearly see through her excuse, glancing briefly over to where Yasha is wiping down the gym equipment before moving out of Jester’s sight. “Anyways, you’re not my only best friends. How could you forget about poor Caduceus like that? Ohmygosh! CADUCEUS! Guys we have to go meet him for tea!” Jester grabs her friends’ arms, her things and tugs them towards the gym’s exit, Fjord and Beau turning to blink at each other as they’re dragged through the double doors and out onto the sidewalk.
=====
Yasha knew Jester was at the gym with her friends, she knows of Beauregard and Fjord from a handful of classes they’ve had together at Exandria University. She texts Caleb and Veth about the encounter, could she really call it that? Jester waved at her and she waved back, they didn’t even share words. Yasha nods her head decisively, choosing to file the “encounter” as progress. Though she knows Veth won’t, but she hopes that Caleb will be in her corner. She finishes up at the gym, heads back to the locker room to grab her bag and goes to leave the gym when she realizes that Jester and her friends are gone. A bit disappointed, she heads to the bus stop down a few blocks from the gym. Her phone is ringing, she knows that ringtone, scrambling to answer the call before she gets any more stares about it. She really dreads letting Molly choose their own ringtone.
“Molly?” Yasha’s a bit annoyed as she answers, hating all the attention on her from that ringtone. “You know, I am changing your ringtone after we’re done talking. I should have never given you permission to pick your own.” Molly laughs uproariously at the concept. “‘Peacock’ makes me think of things of yours that I do NOT want to think about.”
“You can’t do that to me, love. It’s perfect for me,” their accent eases her anger a bit, a smile splitting her face at hearing her friend’s voice again after so long. “But I know you’re usually done with your gym time now and I finally had a minute for a break. So what have you been up to, angel?” She groans at the nickname, she really shouldn’t have let them convince her to get wings tattooed on her back.
“You know the usual. Still living and working at the shop, going to classes. Hanging out with a new friend, Caduceus, he works next door at the tea shop. Then you know Caleb and Veth, and no, before you asked, I still have not talked to her,” Yasha’s quick to add, “Oh, hold on a second, I have to get off the bus.”
“YOU STILL HA-” Molly’s appalled screaming is muffled as she’s rushing off the bus, saying a quick “Thank you” to the driver and strolling down the street. “I cannot believe you, Yash! You even have an in with Caleb and Veth.”
“I know, Molls. I just...you know I’m not smart like Veth and Caleb with electronics and the like. I’d probably break something as simple as a spotlight, which Caleb assured me was simple to use.” Yasha’s reasoning is ignored by Molly, who’s tsking on the other side of the line, upset at her self-deprecation no doubt.
“Yasha, you are smart. You could totally handle a spot and honestly at this point, when I come back for winter break, I am going to talk to Jester for you.” A huff is her response, eyes rolling at their dramatics. She waves at Caduceus, the pink-haired furbolg raising a tea cup in greeting before bringing it to his lips, she enters Bravens’ Bouquets, pausing to take a soothing breath of fragrances of several flowers near the door. “You at the shop yet?”
“Yep, just walked in. And I’ll have you know, I have a plan to talk to Jester after opening night of Twelfth Night which starts next month. She’s the costume lead designer for the first time and I figured I could show up with the flowers I usually send her.” Molly knows well of her ritual for Jester, to anonymously send a different flower arrangement after every show, signing the cards with “The Thing”. “I’ve been doing it for a year now. I think I’m ready to try and- Hi, Mrs. Braven. Molly says, ‘Hi’ and sends love,” Yasha greets the owner as she heads up the backstairs up to her apartment. “As I was saying, I’m going to be brave and tell her.”
“Well,” Molly hums, their tone skeptical but perhaps approving(?), she’s not sure. “The plan’s no longer in the maybe stage so I approve of the improvement. But I want to know every last detail. You tell Caleb and his keen mind to jot down every detail so I can pour over it when I get back.”
“When are you coming back? All I know is it’s not soon enough for me or Mrs. Braven. She misses you around the shop.” Yasha’s sad that Molly went abroad for the semester, she misses her roommate and co-worker, but she knows the owner misses them even more. She treated Yasha and Molly like her own children.
“Soon, only a couple more months. And then I’m going to make you get this tattoo design I’ve been working on for you. It’s a beautiful floral sleeve, figured we could get sort-of matching ones. Or at least have a couple of the same flowers woven in. I’ll send you the idea later too.” Yasha’s already excited about it, Molly’s designs are always beautiful and she’d love to have another Molly special permanently etched upon her skin. The shop’s chime rings out and Yasha pauses, so does Molly almost as if they heard it too, and when Mrs. Braven doesn’t call for her, she tunes back in to Molly.
-----
Fjord’s lounging in his seat at the tea shop, The Grove, eyes dreamy as he looks up at his boyfriend. Caduceus is smiling as he works, preparing their tea, as Beau flips through Jester’s sketchbook. Jester had handed it over reluctantly and her hands currently cover her face, the blush still prominent. The three are sitting in the back corner of the shop so Jester feels a bit comforted by their secluded seating, knowing that Beau’s low whistles of appreciation aren’t going to be overheard.
“Fjord, stop staring at your hubby and look! Jester’s really improved,” Jester beams with pride for a moment at Beau’s words before going back to embarrassment when her friend continues, “Why did I say I wouldn’t hit on Yasha again? Because damn is she fine.” Fjord laughs but leans over to look at the drawings, making “oohs” and “aahs” at the sketches.
“Beau’s everything aside-” Fjord starts.
“HEY. I take major offense, dude!” Beau gasps, a hand reaching up to grasp at the blue cloth of her cropped shirt.
“ANYWAY, you really are improving, Jessie. But obviously, you’ve been thinking about this muse far longer than anyone else. What do you think it is about her, other than she is rather gorgeous.” Fjord leans forward, eager to hear from Jester about it.
“Weeeeeeeelll. I mean she’s really pretty? And she’s so gentle, you should have seen her in the park that day. She’s like a princess! You could see the cartoon birds sitting on her shoulders practically! Have I mentioned she’s gorgeous? And her beautiful tattoos. And her smile. My god, and her muscles.” Jester’s rambling, she is well aware, but it’s hard for her not to. She barely knows a thing about Yasha, outside of what she’s witnessed and she knows Caleb and Veth are friends with her.
Caduceus comes to their table then, placing their tea cups in front of them with a smile. Seeing as no one else is in the shop, he presses a kiss to Fjord’s lips, who had tilted his face upwards hoping for one. Jester smiles at her two friends, so in love she can almost see the hearts in their eyes. Beau’s fake gagging but Jester can tell she’s happy and jealous too, just like she is. Jester wants that, has waited patiently for her prince or princess to come, and she thinks Yasha might be the one.
“What are you all talking about? Oh, that’s a good drawing, Jester!” Cad’s soft tone warms Jester’s heart. She smiles up at him in thanks. “Oh hey, that’s Yasha!” Her jaw drops. Cad knew her?
“YOU KNOW HER?!” Her voice is loud for the quiet calm of a tea shop, but Cad’s unaffected, nodding his head to her question. “Tell me everything.”
“Well, we’ve only hung out a few times. She works next door with Mrs. Braven, we cooperate. She gives us flowers to put on the tables and we give her and Yasha free drinks, not that they come over too often. But Yasha’s been handling the deliveries lately, so I’ve been seeing her more. She’s very nice. Anyone who loves flowers has to be.” Cad’s nodding along to his words, before he kisses Fjord on the cheek. “I have to go back to work, don’t have too much fun over here.” He walks away and Jester is still hanging with her jaw open. It seems like everyone knew this mysterious woman but her! So much for mysterious. She zeroes in on Fjord, who immediately puts his hands up at her glare.
“Whoa! I didn’t know about all that, honest. If I would, I would have definitely taken you here and not the gym.” Fjord’s being honest, she can tell. “Watching you drool over her was not as fun as I’d hoped, just sad.” Now, that, was uncalled for. Jester huffs and turns away, mumbling under her breath.
Jester can see out of the corner of her eye that Beau is looking at her sketches intently before looking out the window at something. She’s slapping Fjord on the shoulder, Jester smiles to herself at Beau helping her with her revenge, and Fjord is batting at her hands before he, too, looks out the window and his jaw drops. Jester’s eyes squint and she turns to the window, but nothing is there.
“What are you two even looking at? You both look silly,” she admonishes her friends, who are sputtering. Beau’s given up on words and is just pointing to a smaller sketch of Yasha’s face and then out the window. “Oh, now you’re trying to get me to think that Yasha just walked by?” Fjord and Beau nod feverishly, their necks almost breaking with the speed. Jester blinks. “Bullshit. You jerks, I can’t believe you.” She’s half-laughing and half-disappointed, she hoped it was true to take the opportunity to catch Yasha.
“Oh hey, speaking of.” Cad calls out, lifting his tea cup in greeting to someone that Jester can’t see. Must be a regular who walked by the door, Jester thinks, taking her sketchbook back from a still stunned Beau. She starts to sketch on a fresh page, planning out a drawing of her mooning at Yasha through a window as she walks by, and doesn’t hear Cad’s next words. “Yasha must be working tonight.” Jester’s sketching for a while, lost in her own world until she hears Fjord.
“...Jester!” Fjord’s whispering harshly at her, standing next to her all of a sudden. He pulls on her arm and drags her out of the shop, her protests going unheard as Beau follows quickly behind. “We’ll be back, babe!” The three friends, Fjord tugging Jester through the door of the flower shop and Beau stumbling in behind, start to walk through the store.
“Hello and welcome to Bravens' Bouquets! I’m Dana Braven. Anything I can help you with?” The voice is kind and matches the appearance of the halfling woman behind the counter, setting down glasses and hopping down from her stool. Her mocha skin tone and midnight braided hair sprinkled with gray radiate a motherly aura as she walks toward the three friends.
“Uh, well, we uh.” Beau starts, looking around before continuing, “We want to grow plants! And, we’re students so we don’t have a lot of space. What would be a good plant to start us off?” Mrs. Braven nods, starting to explain to Beau about ideas for them, and takes her arm leading her to another part of the store.
“Yasha came over here. She really walked right past the shop and Cad said she must have to work. She has to be here somewhere.” Fjord’s whispering again, Jester’s eyes light up at the possibility. “I’ll go with Beau, you try to find her.”
Jester nods at the instruction but the shop’s small. Outside of a few “aisles” to her left, there’s not many places to hide a tall, buff beauty like Yasha. Fjord went to follow after Beau and Mrs. Braven and Jester decides to walk toward the counter. She sees a coat rack against the wall with a couple of aprons hanging from them. Jester moves closer, her eyes locking onto an apron that has “Yasha” sewn along the top of the apron, over where the woman’s heart would be if she was wearing it. Blue fingers trace the letters and a smile takes over her face before she nods her head, looking around one last time for Yasha. Beau and Fjord look at her expectantly as they walk back with Mrs. Braven with a potted plant in their hands, Fjord handing one to her. She laughs and shakes her head, they each leave with a plant and Jester leaves with a plan. She is going to focus on the play first and after it is finished, she is going to ask out Yasha.
=====
Veth had snuck her up into the tech room to watch the show, as she usually does when she comes to a show every blue moon. But she was different than all those other times, she’d dressed up and tamed her hair into several braids thanks to Mrs. Braven. Caleb and Veth had good-naturedly whistled and hooted at her, before giving her hugs and talking with excitement about the play and her plan for after. Yasha pulled at the lapels of her navy blue suit jacket, the material making her feel suffocated, perhaps going suit and tie was not the way to go. The crisp white of her button down and the pink of her tie felt like a lot of color to her, but she knew Jester loved color, pink especially.
“So, tonight’s the night, yes? Are you nervous?” Caleb’s asking but he already knows. She’s terrified.
“Oh yes. I’m terrified. I’ve had a crush on her for over a year and I’m finally admitting it...why am I doing this again?” Yasha’s sure she’s gone insane. Her heart’s beating fast and she still has at least two and a half hours before she talks to Jester. Veth laughs at her answer before pointing to her hands.
“Well, the flowers are a nice touch. Are you going to tell her you sent her all those flowers before?” Veth questions, her body leaning forward to sniff at the bouquet in Yasha’s hands. Yasha looks at the collection of flowers, all roses but some pink, some red, some lavender, a couple of yellow and orange. “Maybe two dozen was a bit much?”
“Yeah, I have the card right here,” Yasha answers, her fingers reaching into her pocket and taking out her wallet. “But no, it’s not too much. There’s not enough flowers in the world to properly express how I feel. And no, you can’t see the card. I don’t need to be more embarrassed and nervous about this than I already am.” Veth pouts at her and she pockets her wallet once more, her body so wired with nervous energy that she begins to pace the room.
“You’ll do fine, Yasha. If I can get a girlfriend, so can you,” Caleb says as he looks over his shoulder at her, a soft grin on his face. He’s, of course, talking of Astrid. Veth and Yasha laugh, Veth agreeing loudly.
“You can do it, Yasha! We believe in you. If Caleb can do it, so can you!” Veth’s laughing through her words, wiping at her eyes and holding her stomach. Yasha shakes her head, but she hopes she can do this. There’s a knock at the door and that means five minutes before start, Yasha knows that much, and they quiet down to idle chatter before the curtain opens on Twelfth Night .
-----
Jester is beaming. Her outfits looked stunning on stage, Beau looked so dashing that she’s sure Beau is somewhere, swarmed with new fangirls. The show hadn’t run super perfect, but only things that the theatre folk would notice, so she stands in a crew meeting before they can go home for the night. She finds herself next to Veth and Caleb, talking animatedly with them and thanking Caleb for his lights making her costumes look good. They laugh and chat before the meeting starts, the stage manager and director going over notes, before congratulating everyone on opening night. She claps and gathers her things, disappointed to not see the flowers that usually await her. She supposed that her secret admirer can be forgetful too. She wanders out the side door of the theatre, most everyone gone, but she catches Fjord and Caduceus waiting for her.
“Hey lovebirds! You guys weren’t waiting for me too long, were you?” Jester is worried she’s made them wait awhile, but the two men are already shaking their head.
“No, we wanted to say hi before we went home. We were stuck in Beau’s line awhile.” Fjord chuckles, Cad and Fjord looking behind them at the number of women surrounding Beau. Beau catches her eye and waves, before returning to her relentless fans, that charming grin of hers probably stealing a number of hearts.
“Oh yeah, she’s definitely going home with one or a number of women tonight.” Jester’s laughing as she waves back at Beau but secretly jealous again. She shakes her head, trying to will those thoughts away, and she notices Veth and Caleb hanging around behind Fjord. Not like they’re standing in line to talk with her, but she notices they’re talking to a suited figure, the person’s back to her. She wonders who that might be.
“Well, we’ll talk to later, Jessie. Great first night, we’re proud of you,” Cad praises, wrapping her up in a hug first before Fjord hugs her. They step away and Jester smiles to herself, looking down at her purse and starts to fish for her keys. She hears someone approach and she moves out of the way instinctively, thinking they’re headed towards the door behind her. She stumbles and she realizes she’s falling.
“Hey, are you okay?” Jester hears the question in a soft lyrical voice that instantly captivates her. She steadies herself in the person’s arms and then looks up. She is wholly unprepared for coming face-to-face with the mismatched gaze of Yasha, who smiles at her but you can tell she’s concerned. Jester nods, unable to speak properly. God, that tattoo bisecting her lip and continuing down her chin looks good this close.
“Jester? Are you okay?” Yasha asks again, a flush coming to her cheeks when she realizes she’s still holding her and she steps away. Jester’s face is deep purple from a blush as well, but she pouts as Yasha pulls away from her.
“Y-yes, I’m fine. Thank you.” Jester really can’t say much more, kind of dumbfounded that after all that time sketching that beautiful face from afar, it was inches from her own.
“Well, uhm, that’s good. I, uh, I wanted to give you these,” Yasha’s voice somehow goes softer and Jester leans forward, to hear more of her talking and to take the bouquet that’s held out to her. She gasps at the number, the colors, the meanings. She can’t speak, her eyes misting before she realizes that Yasha is holding out a card to her as well. She reads:
“Jester,
I’ve longed to speak with you and know you but I’ve watched you from afar for over a year now. I started sending you flowers to show you appreciation and I planned to one day reveal myself. I’d like to ask you on a date, if you’re not too weirded out.
Sincerely,
The Thing”
Jester is giddy. She’s been pining after Yasha who has been pining after her all this time. Her eyes take in Yasha, watching her rock back and forth nervously with her hands in her pockets, drinking in the form she’s drawn hundreds of times wrapped in a suit and a tie that’s her favorite color.
“So?” Yasha wonders aloud, taking a step closer and reaching a hand up to rub at the back of her neck nervously. “I’m sure this is weird and all. But I’ve wanted to ask you out since the moment I first saw you freshman year at tryouts for Rent . I chickened out of auditioning, before you ask.” She chuckles, her eyes locking with Jester’s and Jester bites her bottom lip at how much she wants to kiss Yasha right now. “But, I’d like to take you out, if that’s okay with you? It doesn’t have to be tonight, of course, bu-”
“Yes!” Jester’s shouted before she can stop herself and let Yasha finish her sentence. “Yes, I’d love to go out with you.” Jester steps into Yasha’s space and leans up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to her cheek. “You beat me to it, actually. I was going to ask you out after the last show.”
Yasha looks surprised, maybe a bit skeptical, and Jester shrugs before saying, “It’s a long story and I’ll tell you at Pumat Sol’s Pancakery when we get there.”
“Okay, then. I’ll take your word for it,” Yasha sounds out of breath and she looks dazed, a hand coming up to her cheek to run her fingers over where Jester’s lips had been. Jester wants to kiss her again for how cute she is now. “Let’s go get you some pancakes then.” She offers her hand to Jester, who takes it and intertwines their fingers, her tail swishing happily behind her as she walks away with Yasha.
Behind them, their friends whoop excitedly. Caleb and Veth turn to Fjord and Caduceus, shaking hands and high-fiving. Beau runs over and breathlessly asks out it went and lets out a loud shout of victory and hugs Caleb in a grip too tight that has him wheezing.
“Man, we really gotta thank Molly for introducing us to get this all to happen. They’ve got mad connections,” Beau admits, bumping Veth with her hip. “Good teamwork though, everyone. Now, off to celebrate those two FINALLY getting together.” The group cheers, heading off to hang out together and toast to a job well done.
=====
Yasha wakes up the morning of Molly’s flight back into town, for good this time, with a happy sigh. She grins and presses a kiss to the back of a blue, looking fondly down at her little spoon, before moving to get up. A groan of protest leaves Jester and she pulls Yasha’s hand more firmly around her chest, snuggling further into the pillow.
“My Sapphire, you know we have to get up now. I have to go pick up Molly before your rehearsal, and you said you wanted to go,” Yasha’s voice is soft as it always is with Jester, that love-fueled tone dripping from her voice. If Beau and Veth were here they’d be gagging at the sappiness no doubt. She’s glad they’re not here though so she can enjoy a quiet morning with her girlfriend in peace.
“Mmm. I say a lot of things. Right now I say more sleeeeep,” Jester groans again, turning to look at Yasha with a pout on her face. Yasha lets out a laugh and presses a quick kiss to Jester’s forehead before pulling away, stretching her arms overhead. She crosses to the otherside of the room and she turns back to Jester to tell her to get up again, when she sees the lustful look in her eyes, the teeth biting into a swollen lip. “Jess, we can continue where we passed out later. Promise, but first, clothes and breakfast. Then off to the airport.”
“I’ll hold you to that promise,” Jester’s voice is husky and it makes Yasha gulp. “Fine, fine. Clothes and food.” She stretches out on the bed and it’s Yasha’s turn to stare before Jester catches her, winking as she gets up and walks past her, her tail teasingly smacking her ass on the way out of the room. Yasha realizes she’s doomed.
-----
Later, when Yasha, Jester, and their friends meet Molly at the airport, the purple-toned tiefling greets everyone with hugs and cheek kisses. They jump into Yasha’s arms and she spins them around, laughing excitedly at having each other near again. Molly makes eye contact with Jester and kisses Yasha on the mouth, Jester letting out a squeak of shock and starts to advance on Molly with murder in her eyes before Yasha drops Molly flat on their ass. Everyone’s laughing, Yasha rolling eyes and wiping at her mouth exaggeratedly, cursing, before pulling Jester into her.
“I need a sweet palate cleanser,” Yasha mumbles and leans in for a kiss. Jester’s hands fly to block her mouth, shaking her head as she laughs.
“NO! Not after you made out with that fool!” Laughing and playfully avoiding Yasha’s kisses, Jester’s happy in her arms and with their friends. Molly is helped up by Beau and they swoon dramatically at how chivalrous she is, Beau rolling her eyes at their antics. All their friends are talking to Molly, as they grab their bags and start moving out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the airport. Jester and Yasha trail back from the group, watching everyone talking so animatedly in front of them and Yasha stops her, turning her to face the taller woman.
“Jester. I know it might not be the right time to say it, and you don’t have to say it back. But, I love you.” The words in Yasha’s voice just for her makes her heart squeeze and she leans up and kisses Yasha so fiercely, she stumbles into the firm body in front of her.
“I love you too, Yasha,” Jester’s voice is soft and she says the words against Yasha’s lips. She’s positively vibrating with the need to say it. “I love you.” Yasha smiles at her and kisses her once more before they’re interrupted by their friends’ jeering not too far ahead of them. “We love them too. We have to remember that,” she mumbles, resting her forehead against Yasha’s chin. Yasha laughs and they turn to catch up with their friends, chatting and joking with them as they walk together. Jester and Yasha have their hands clasped together and Jester looks up at her gorgeous girlfriend and smiles to herself. She thinks back to Yasha’s apartment, that currently houses her sketchbook, and grins at all the pages of Yasha she will continue to fill it up with.