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Memories are strange, fickle things. Sometimes they’re bold and unforgettable, and sometimes they’re faint and hard to hold. Sometimes you can only latch onto a memory when you’re in a certain mood, or a certain place.
The day Sophie took Biana by the hand and asked if she could, possibly, take her out on a date, but only if she was alright with it and it would be okay if she wasn’t- the day that Biana had cut her off with a hug and a little yelp of joyous surprise. That day lives forever in Biana’s memory, every dip in Sophie’s face, the curve of her smile. She’ll never forget the way her stomach fell to her toes and her heart rose to the sky, because never once had she dared imagine a moment like this.
It has only been 3 days since that memory, but Biana has replayed it a thousand times. Staring up at nothing with a soft, airy smile and a tingling giddiness that she can’t shake.
She spends an entire day before their date trying to choose what to wear, flipping between ‘Sophie wont mind if I’m not wearing the most gorgeous dress ever made’ and ‘It’s our first date! I can’t just wing it!’. Eventually she settles on the purple one that Sophie herself had gifted her so long ago, back when they’d first met. She doubts Sophie will notice, but she enjoys the symbolism of it all.
Biana doesn’t pace while she waits, but it’s a very near thing. She doesn’t bother holding any of her dignity when Sophie finally arrives, opening the gate hastily and hurrying into Sophie’s arms. Because she’s allowed to do that now. Even before this, she knows Sophie would have never shied away from her affection, but there’s something much more magical about holding tightly to someone who holds you back just as tight, clinging to someone who you know cares about you as much as you care about them.
They break apart inevitably, and Biana doesn’t know if she’s shocked to find Sophie in a brilliant poppy red dress.
“You look beautiful.” Sophie breathes, their hands are interlocked between them.
“You too.” Biana manages, distracted by the braided crown and soft honey blonde waves. “Gorgeous.”
She can’t help but smile when the telepath’s face flushes just a few shades lighter than her dress.
They stand there for a little too long, just looking at each other wonderingly.
“We should-” Sophie starts, shaking Biana out of her trance.
“I’m excited.” Biana assures seeing the beginnings of nervousness in the subtle crease between Sophie’s eyebrows. “I can’t wait to see what you have planned for us.” She hesitates for a moment, before quickly moving forward and pressing her lips to Sophie’s cheek. The blonde lets out a small squeak of surprise.
It’s less than the blink of an eye, but it leaves them both crimson.
Sophie gives Biana an adorably shy smile, that sends butterflies sailing in her stomach, and pulls out a pathfinder. She drops one of Biana’s hands while doing so, but holds just as tightly to the other.
They glitter away, and Biana gasps in surprise when they land. It’s one of the shopping districts, not quite as high end as Atlantis, but not as pedestrian as Mysterium either. They stand in front of a decorated storefront.
“You told me this is your favourite place.” Sophie explains, watching Biana carefully for her reaction. Biana beams,
“You remembered?” It must have been months ago, she’d mentioned off hand that her mother hadn’t allowed her to go, taking her to Atlantis instead.
“Of course I did.”
Biana is struck dumb for a moment, but then the dinging bell from the opening of the door pulls her back in.
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” She tugs her date along behind her into the store, their hands warm against one another. Not sweaty, which she’d feared. Simply perfect.
Inside the store is incredible, dresses are propped up on mannequins and walls. Accessories litter random shelves, and nearly everything glitters.
Sophie follows Biana quietly as the brunette looks carefully at the merchandise, occasionally offering words of encouragement and enthusiasm. Slowly, too slowly, Biana notices how the enthusiasm begins to dwindle. Yet everytime she looks back she’s gifted a smile, no trace of discomfort to be found.
“What do you think of this one?” She questions, turning to look over at her date. Sophie doesn’t quite seem to be looking at anything, shaking out of some sort of daze to survey the dress Biana offers.
“It’s nice.” She says, “The blue will look really nice on you.” Already her eyes are drifting around the room carefully. Biana can see the heavily veiled unease in her face and she makes a decision.
“Wait, where are we going?” Sophie’s bewildered voice sounds behind her as they exit the store.
“Somewhere you’ll actually enjoy.” Biana quips, she hears the other girl let out a strangled sound.
“I was enjoying myself!” She defends, but the lie is obvious now.
“It’s alright,” Biana assures, though she knows it won’t quite be enough. Biana has a number of memories of this particular place, her mother used to take her here and leave her and Fitz to wander while she browsed. Years have passed since then, but she held on to them.
“Biana-”
“Just give me a second.” She pulls them off the beaten path, between the stores and finally into a grassy field behind them. “I know a place.”
Sophie follows silently the rest of the way, through the grass as it slowly gets taller and wilder. Littered with weeds you usually wouldn’t see in the Lost Cities, the buildings grow smaller and smaller against the horizon behind them but Biana forges on,
A wall of bushes appears in front of them, scraggly and unkempt, like they used to be cared for but they’ve been long given back to nature.
“Just through here.” Biana tells Sophie, who looks something between amazed and worried. Biana doesn’t bother to placate her, because she knows it will be unnecessary in a moment. She runs a hand along the leafy branches until it pushes through with little resistance.
“Come on.” She grins at Sophie, then leads her through a somewhat hidden opening. It’s low, so they have to crouch in order to keep the sticks from pulling at their hair.
Then they break through completely and she can hear Sophie’s intake of breath behind her.
“Wow.” She exhales, Biana admires the soft fascination of her features. The way her eyes glimmer.
“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” She questions, Sophie nods slowly, still taking it all in.
In front of them, stretching for as far as the eye can see, stands a sea of wildflowers. Their petals seem to glow in the afternoon sunlight, reds and blues, purples and yellows, oranges and greens, colours that you wouldn’t even think exist, All vibrant and alive. A soft, heady scent lays over them, Biana inhales deeply.
Biana bends down and gently grasps the stalk of a light purple forget me not. It comes off with a small snap and she offers it to her companion, who watches her carefully.
“Here,” She drops Sophie’s hand and carefully fixes the bloom behind her ear. She steps back to admire her handiwork. “Perfect.” She nods.
“Can we-” Sophie looks out over the field, a thousand colours reflected in her eyes, the light pink of her cheeks so different from any flower. “I want to see how many there are.”
Biana beams,
“See who can reach the end first?” Sophie grins at her, and then they’re off.
They fly through the meadow, skirts flowing behind them like feathered tails. Biana laughs as she runs, and Sophie joins.
They don’t make it to the end, Biana has never made it. Instead they collapse to the dirt, hand and hand staring up at the sky. Leaves tickle Biana’s nose but she doesn’t mind.
“I’m sorry that I ruined our date.” Sophie says, so softly that it’s nearly lost to the swaying blossoms. Biana frowns, rolling over so she’s looking at Sophie. The other girl just continues to look up at the sky, a timid breeze sends her hair waving slightly, having long fallen out of it’s braids.
“You didn’t ruin anything.” Biana argues.
Sophie shuts her eyes softly, her lips downturning. “I wanted to take you to your favourite place, so you could be happy.” She says, “And I acted like a jerk the whole time and made you leave.”
“First of all,” Biana begins, carefully turning Sophie’s cheek so they’re looking at one another, her eyes open. “I understand that some of the stuff I like isn’t the same as what you do. I will never force you to do something that makes you uncomfortable just because I want to do it.” She swears. “And second.” The other girl shifts so they’re both laying on their sides.
“It isn’t even my favourite place.”
Sophie’s brow furrows, “But you said-”
“I know what I said.” Biana interrupts, “But my favourite place could never be some stupid store. My favourite place is wherever you are, silly.”
“Oh=” Sophie just stares at her, wide eyed and open mouthed. That wonderful pink once more dusting her nose. “Oh.” They lay there for a moment longer, Biana’s hand still light against Sophie’s freckled cheek. She didn’t notice how close they truly are until warm breath ghosts along her cheek.
“You’re my favourite place too.” Sophie finally says, and it sounds so much bigger when she says it, the words fill Biana’s chest with something inexplicable, something new and exciting. She only barely catches the way Sophie’s gaze drops for a moment, she sees the way her mouth forms around a question but she nods before it can even be said.
Then there’s no more space, their noses bump and their lips pressed together and the colours Biana sees behind her eyes make the meadow seem monochrome. She cups Sophie’s face with both hands, dirt rubs against one of them but she doesn’t care.
It’s over as suddenly as it began, and Biana is already hoping for next time.
“Will you be my girlfriend.” The words tumble out on their own accord, but she doesn’t mind. Sophie smiles brighter than the sun above them and not even the strongest washer in the world could wipe this moment from her mind.
“Only if you’ll be mine.”