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"It's about time you showed up," Beau grumbled.
Mollymauk sauntered into the room, twenty minutes late, and Jester shut the front door to her apartment behind them.
"For your information," Mollymauk began. "I know you all went on and on in the group chat about how I'm welcome at girls' night, but I was still at war with myself about whether or not I belong here. And I still sort of am. That's why I'm late." Their voice trailed off and they crossed their arms and looked away from everyone.
"Oh Molly!" Jester consoled, patting them on the arm. "Of course you belong here. You said yourself that you are a girl sometimes, it only makes sense."
"Hey, wait, I'm sorry," Beau apologized. She crossed the room over to where Molly stood. "I shouldn't have assumed that you forgot. Would, um…"
"Yeah?" Molly looked over at Beauregard.
"Do you — would you — like a… hug?" She stammered.
Mollymauk snickered. "Yes, Beau."
Molly pulled Beau in and kissed her head. Beau awkwardly hugged them back and blushed.
"Wait," Veth gasped from her spot on the couch. "Do you have a crush on Molly?"
Mollymauk cackled and Beau let go of them and scowled.
"No! Molly is like an annoying sibling to me. Gross."
"She's just an awkward hugger," Yasha supplied, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the couch.
"Oh, I can tell you all about who Beau actually does have a crush on," Mollymauk crooned.
"Don't you dare! You said you wouldn't tell! You —"
"Shhh, Beau. I'm just messing with you. It's all right."
"Don't joke about that," Beau groaned.
"Okay, sorry for that." Molly rubbed Beau's back while she took a deep breath.
"Everyone is here now, do you all know what that means?" Jester beamed.
"It's time to eat?" Veth piped. "I'm hungry."
"No, it's time for us to do each other's makeup!"
"Yasha, I'm about to make you look like even more of a goddess than you already do," Molly boasted, pulling palettes and brushes out of their bag.
"Thank you, Molly," Yasha replied softly. "Though I do not think that I am as pretty as a goddess."
"Ah, ah, ah!" Jester reprimanded. "You are not allowed to downplay your beauty while you're in my house, Yasha."
Molly sat cross-legged across from Yasha and fully turned their bag upside-down, emptying it onto the floor.
"Beau, you won't try to wrestle me away if I do your makeup, will you?" Jester asked.
"Nah, I'm not opposed to makeup." Beau blushed again, not looking Jester in the eyes.
"Since you all will be occupied for a bit before I get my turn, can I do your hair, Molly?" Veth asked.
"Absolutely, dear." They saw Veth pull a comb and some hair ties out of her bag.
Yasha and Beau picked out color schemes for their eye makeup and Molly and Jester began.
"So Jester," Molly lilted. "Isn't it true that you have a little crush on somebody, too?"
Jester scowled and stuck her tongue out at them.
"Why do you keep bringing up the romantic lives of other people, Molly?" Beau groaned.
"Yeah, we could talk about yours instead," Jester teased. "We all see how you look at Cayleb."
Mollymauk flushed magenta and huffed. "You be quiet."
"I have never been quiet in my life and I am not about to start on account of you being smitten." Jester grinned while she applied eyeshadow to Beau's face.
"What's the matter? Can't take what you dish out?" With those words, Molly knew Beau would be smirking if she wasn't having her makeup done right then. They gave her the finger, which she returned. From behind Molly, Veth laughed quietly while running a comb through Molly's curls.
"Fine. I admit it. I want to climb Caleb like a tree. Happy?" Mollymauk spilled. They heard Jester squeal and they smiled and rolled their eyes while they worked on Yasha's eye makeup.
"Would you be mad at me if I told him?" Jester asked innocently.
"Not really, because knowing him, two things will happen." Molly sighed. "Firstly, he'll get all embarrassed. Secondly, he'll tell you that you must be mistaken."
"Yeah, that really does sound like him," Veth agreed.
"I don't know if I'll tell him," Jester said, seeming to think about something for a moment. "Good luck though, Molly."
"Thank you," Molly replied, turning their head to stare right into Jester's eyes. "And good luck to you as well." Jester wasn't sure if she really saw Molly's gaze flick over to Beau for a split second or if she imagined it due to their lack of pupils.
"Now Beau, these might feel a little funny if you're not used to them," she told Beauregard, applying eyelash glue to the false eyelashes.
"I can take it," Beauregard boasted.
"Nah, you're gonna freak out," Molly grinned.
Jester carefully applied the eyelash glue and placed the eyelashes on Beau's eyelids, then reached for the eyelash curler and mascara.
"Oh boy," Beau groaned. "They feel like caterpillars on my eyelids."
"I knew it," Molly smirked smugly.
"You'll get used to them," Jester lilted. She curled Beau's eyelashes and applied the mascara.
"Wow." Yasha looked over at Jester's finished work. "You look very nice, Beau."
"Jester really knows what she's doing," Molly added.
"You guys aren't fucking with me, right?" Beau always got suspicious when Molly complimented her.
"Of course not!" Jester held a small mirror in front of Beau's face. "See for yourself."
Beauregard's eyes were framed with dark grays, dark blues and black, and her lips were painted a deep wine color that complemented the warm undertone of her skin. Damn, Jester really had done an amazing job.
"Wow," she breathed. "Thank you, Jester. I can only hope to do your makeup this well, shit."
"I believe in you," Jester chirped. "Besides, even if it does end up terrible, I can always go wash it off."
While Jester was busy deciding what colors she wanted, Beau peeked over at Yasha to see her eyes were framed in mostly black with a little silver and gray, unsurprisingly. Molly had also drawn a little blue flower on her cheek with eyeliner. Veth seemed to be finishing up braiding Molly's violet hair into two plaits that went down the back of their scalp and stopped just below where their neck started.
"Okay Beau! I'm ready for my makeover!"
Jester started shoving brushes and palettes into Beau's hands.
"Mollymauk's hair is done, who wants their hair done next?" Veth looked around at all of them expectantly.
"You can do mine if you want, as long as you don't get in Beau's way," Jester volunteered. "I want to do Beau's hair."
Beau cleared her throat and tried not to blush as Veth started on Jester's hair. She took a deep breath and hoped she'd figure out what to do with the pinks and purples Jester chose.
In the process of trying her absolute best on Jester's makeup, she found herself relieved that Jester had to close her eyes for most of it. The chances of her catching Beau gazing longingly at her adorable, round, perfect face were minimal. She was also grateful Molly's eyes were shut, or she'd never hear the end of what they might have seen otherwise.
Beau applied the purple lipstick Jester had picked out and tried to think of something, anything other than kissing it off of Jester's lips.
"Done!" Beau squeaked, cringing at how her voice cracked.
"Oh my gosh, I can't wait to see how beautiful you've made me!" Jester exclaimed.
As if you aren't already the most stunning person in this room, Beau thought.
"Wow, that is actually very pretty," Molly spoke, surprised, their own makeup extremely colorful and bright. "Well done, Beau."
Molly handed Jester the mirror and she gasped as she gazed into it. "Beau!"
"Yeah?" Had she really done that well? She wondered if her friends were just saying that to make her feel better.
"Thank you!" Jester threw her arms around Beau and kissed her cheek.
Beau's brain short-circuited and she smiled dopily before she remembered —
"Wait! Your lipstick!"
Jester giggled. "Beau, it's the kind that doesn't rub off easily." She demonstrated, touching her fingers to her lips and then showing them to Beau, totally free of lipstick. "Yours is like that too."
"Oh." Of course she didn't notice when Jester was right there, so close to her and letting Beau gaze at and touch her face.
"Shows how much you pay attention," Mollymauk chuckled.
"Fuck you, Molly."
"Fuck you, Beau."
Veth spoke up. "Okay, Molly and Jester both have pigtails, can it be my turn now?"
"Come here, dear," said Molly.
Molly began doing her makeup while Jester combed and played with Beau's hair.
"I think I'll give you a braid too, as well as I can manage with your undercut," she told Beau.
Beau nodded, not trusting her voice to remain steady and not crack again.
Veth and Jester chatted animatedly about whatever was on TV while Beau stared off into the middle distance, reveling in the feeling of Jester's hands in her hair and on her scalp.
"Okay, now I'm very hungry," Veth grumbled.
"What would you like to eat?" Yasha asked.
"I don't know. Something with meat. Maybe we could get some of those sub sandwiches Caleb got for us last week. I don't know if they deliver, though."
"Let's not worry about delivery then," Molly grinned. They got up and started putting their belongings back in their bag.
"Are you going to go get us food, Molly?" Jester beamed.
"I am. And so are they," they announced, gesturing to Veth and Yasha.
"Do you not want me to go?" The blue tiefling pouted and Molly actually felt their heart crack just a tiny bit.
"I just think you should stay here, it's your apartment. And we won't be long. And you'll have Beau to protect you in case anything strange happens."
"Wait, if Beau is staying as a bodyguard, why can't you just go get the food while the rest of us act as bodyguards as well?" The halfling queried.
Molly kneeled down to Veth's height. "Because, Veth — I don't want to be all by my lonesome. Now come on." They nudged her toward the door and looked Beauregard directly in the eye before exiting.
Shoot your shot, they mouthed.
Beau gave them a single nod before looking away and blushing heavily. Yasha turned around before walking out the door.
"What kind of sandwiches do you want us to get for you?" Either she was just as oblivious as Veth, or she was hiding the fact that she knew what Molly was up to. Beau was grateful either way.
"Uh, ham and cheese. With bacon. Lots of bacon." Beau pretended to check her phone so everyone would stop looking at her.
"Hmmm," Jester pondered. "I want chicken and pepperoni and veggies."
Yasha gave them a thumbs up and followed Veth and Mollymauk out the door, leaving Beauregard and Jester alone in the apartment.
Alone.
In Jester's apartment.
Sitting on the couch.
She could do this.
"I like the way your braid turned out, Beau," Jester murmured. "It's very pretty on you."
Maybe she couldn't do this.
"Thanks, I like it too." Beau tried to remain calm with her heart pounding out of her chest and Jester looking right at her. "I feel… beautiful, even with these fuzzy things on my eyelids, and it's all because of you, so thank you."
"Well, you know," Jester laughed quietly. "You can't spell beautiful without Beau!"
"Oh no, why, Jester?" Beau cringed and laughed. "I walked right into that one, I guess."
"You did. Caduceus's puns and dad jokes have also been rubbing off on me."
"To be fair, I think our entire friend group, except for Caduceus, tells dirty jokes more often than they did before they met you," Beau remarked.
"I just have a way with people." Jester dramatically flipped one of her pigtails back and Beauregard couldn't help but laugh.
"That is true, though," Beau confessed.
"You think so?"
"Of course. You're wonderful." Might as well stop stalling and get to the honesty part before their friends came back.
"Thank you, um…" Jester began. "I want to tell you something, Beau."
"I want to tell you something too," Beau murmured. "Do you wanna go first, or —?"
"No, you can go first, it's probably more important than what I have to say anyway." Jester laughed nervously.
Beau sheepishly slid her hand over to Jester's and gently held it. It's now or never. Shoot your shot.
"I think that you're really cute and funny, you make me laugh and smile all the time, and occasionally when you walk into a room that I'm in and I'm not expecting it, my heart skips a beat — fuck, I'm rambling. I like you, is what I mean. As in, I have feelings for you."
Beau held her breath.
Jester looked into Beau's eyes and a small, adorably genuine smile spread across her face.
"That's so funny, because that is what I wanted to tell you. That you are beautiful and really cool and that I like you."
"Wait, for real?" Maybe Molly had a point, Beau didn't seem to be the best at paying attention.
"For real. And Molly knew even though I didn't tell them!" Jester crossed her arms and pouted. Beau's heart fluttered.
"They're oddly perceptive sometimes. Or maybe I'm just an idiot. Probably both. I did tell Molly about my feelings, though."
"Awww, you actually acted like friends for a second," Jester teased.
"We do that from time to time," Beau explained.
"I want to kiss you," Jester blurted out.
"Huh?" Beau thought she was going to burst into flames, she was so warm. She also noticed that Jester hadn't let go of her hand yet.
"Can I kiss you? Do I have permission?"
"Um — uh — yeah! Yeah, sure. Go right ahead," Beau answered shakily.
Jester leaned forward and gave Beau a tiny peck that nevertheless had Beau's heart soaring and her stomach doing backflips.
"Whoa," was Beau's intelligent response.
"That was the first time I've kissed another girl on the lips," Jester whispered. She squeezed Beau's hand.
Beauregard felt a sudden surge of bravery at Jester's admission. "Do you want to do it a second time?"
Jester blushed purple and started leaning in again, slower this time. Beau let go of Jester's hand in favor of holding her face between her hands and closed the distance.
Jester's lips tasted sweet and felt cool against her own. Jester was gentle, and whether that was her going easy on Beau or going easy on herself, Beau wasn't sure. Beau went in for another kiss after that one ended, and another, and another. She had dreamed about this moment for months and it was finally happening.
With a giggle, Jester climbed into Beau's lap. Her giggles grew in volume as Beau gaped at her.
"Well go on, don't stop now."
That simple request bolstered Beauregard's courage enough for her to start properly making out with Jester, and she heard Jester sigh into the kiss. Her hands went to Jester's hips and Jester wrapped her arms around Beau's neck.
Beau leaned back after a few moments and let herself breathe. "Good?"
"Yes, very very good," Jester breathed. "I'm cool compared to everyone else, so your tongue feels super warm."
Beau went completely red and choked on air, coughing and sputtering. Jester laughed.
"You did that on purpose."
Jester just smirked in response.
Right as Beau opened her mouth again to speak, they heard keys unlocking the front door. Jester launched herself off of Beau's lap and onto the other side of the couch just before the door opened.
"Greetings, my disciples," Molly announced, waltzing into the room. "I have come bearing sustenance."
"None of you can ever talk like normal people, huh?" Veth sighed.
"Hello Jester, Hello Beau," Yasha greeted them.
"Yes, hel —" Molly began, before getting a better look at Beau and Jester. "Oh, so you did listen to me. Good, it's about time."
"What? We didn't do anything!" Beau insisted, wondering what the fuck Molly could have possibly noticed this time.
"Dear, don't you remember what Jester told you?" They teased. "That lipstick doesn't come off easily. What she didn't tell you is that there are certain things that can make it smudge a bit, such as passionate kissing."
Beau quickly glanced at Jester's mouth to find that yes, there was a little bit of wine lipstick smudged around her lips. Shit.
Everything finally clicked in Veth's head. "Oh, so that's what all that was about!"
Mollymauk laughed hysterically and Yasha just smiled and sat their food down on the coffee table.
The rest of that night was going to go very interestingly for her and Jester, Beau was sure of it.