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Beatrix hadn’t thought of herself as the jealous type. She was perfectly secure in her relationships. Or so she had thought. In the span of a term, she had lost more relationships than she could count. At the end of it, she had pulled all of the broken pieces together and looked for some semblance of a whole. Out of everyone and everything, that whole became Stella.
It was only Stella. Someone she could trust wholly and fully, without reservation. She had started to speak to Stella’s other friends, or rather the “Winx Club,” who could win an award for being obnoxious enough to name their friend group. Still, they were pleasant in small doses… very small doses.
Stella had filled all of the cracks in her life. Her smile made Beatrix’s days better, and her laughter would make it seem impossible to ever feel sad again. Sometimes she’d use her magic to take them somewhere bright, even if they were in the darkest room with the clock chiming over 3 am.
Really, when Stella gave her so much, it should be rather pointless to experience jealousy.
Beatrix thinks she deserves a little slack, though. This was the third girl just this week. Stella stands at the front of the class, speaking to the girl. Beatrix watches the girl with narrowed eyes as she presses her hand against Stella’s bicep and leans in close, telling some joke or whatever. It didn’t matter what her words were. Her actions spoke louder.
Stella nods her head along with what she says before pulling away, waving her off. It takes an annoyingly large amount of self-control to not shoot a spark of electricity at that girl’s feet and watch her stumble around in shock.
It turns out she was lacking in the self-control department these days. She sends just a little, enough that it would feel like just a step above a static shock but not enough that the girl could blame it on her. The girl jumps away from Stella and Beatrix will not deny that she may delight in her reaction just a little bit.
Soon after, Stella sits beside her in class and Beatrix feels her tension fade. Not much. But, enough.
Stella squeezes her hand. ‘Are you alright, Bea?’
Beatrix pushes a smile onto her cheeks. ‘Never better.’ She glares at the girl who finally sits down. ‘Why do you ask?’
Stella laughs, covering her mouth with her hand when the teacher tells them to be quiet. She lowers her voice to a whisper and continues, ‘Because, I think that girl might melt if you keep glaring at her.’
Beatrix huffs, slumping against her chair. ‘I wasn’t glaring, this is just how I normally look at people.’
She feels Stella brush her hair over her shoulder, as she leans in close, her lips only a breath away. ‘Then why don’t you look at me like that?’
Beatrix knows that if she turns, she’s going to see a smug smile on Stella’s face. She groans. Letting Stella into her heart meant she knew too much and was often too smug for her own good. Getting dragged in general was unbearable. But by her own girlfriend? That was practically blasphemy.
Beatrix refuses to back down. ‘Maybe you haven’t noticed.’
Stella snorts. ‘You’re going to have to try harder than that. I’m always looking at you.’
Beatrix’s cheeks flush. Well, she supposes she can’t be too mad about that.
She just wishes that Stella could look at those girls and see their emotions too. Those touches were more than friendship. Beatrix would know, she had looked at and touched Stella in the same way.
She considers just telling her, “all those girls are flirting with you.” They're unbearable with the way they grip the ladder's rungs towards Stella’s attention, gnawing each other off for the chance she’d glance their way. With the obliviousness and kindness of Stella’s responses, she kept allowing them proximity she wouldn’t normally allow. Had they been men, had she realised that women desired her just as much as men, perhaps Beatrix wouldn’t have this feeling burning in her chest.
Beatrix grits her teeth and doesn’t tell her. She wants to show stability in their relationship. So when Stella smiles, and presses one hand against Beatrix's knee, using the other writes notes, she tries to push the burning feeling away.
She doesn't want to be jealous. She used to have everything and more from girls like them. Adoration, fear, begging. Now those same girls who would run away from her, take their chances with Stella.
The only reason she has yet to singe them with air magic was from the fact that the school’s populace wasn’t aware of their relationship status. Sharing it with their friends had been more than enough.
Not anymore. She was one flirt away from irrationality.
Before she knows it, the class is over and her notebook is completely empty. Stella reaches for her hand and leads her out of the class. She pulls Beatrix down an empty hall and stops. ‘Something is bothering you.’
Beatrix sighs. ‘Nothing is wrong, Stella.’
Stella purses her lips and places a hand on Beatrix’s cheek. ‘I know where you’re upset.’ She slides her hand up and presses a finger to the corner of Beatrix’s eye. ‘Your eyes crinkle in this grumpy way.’
Beatrix smiles and rubs the corner of her eyes, nudging Stella’s hand to the side. ‘There, the crinkles are all gone.’
Stella laughs. ‘A shame, I was quite fond of them. You make them work.’
Beatrix falls into the laughter, pushing her jealously aside. ‘Make me not grumpy and perhaps they’ll appear again.’
Stella hums, sliding her hand back to Beatrix’s face. ‘Am I upsetting you? You seem…’ She sighs. She slides her hand down and rests it on Beatrix’s shoulder. ‘You seem unhappy.’
Forget this jealousy. She shakes her head and grips the front of Stella’s shirt, gently tugging her closer. ‘I could never truly be unhappy around you.’
Stella’s eyes lower to her lips. It was the same each time. Beatrix could definitely say this is one reaction those girls weren’t getting. ‘Looking for something, princess?’ She whispers.
Stella sides her hand back up, cupping Beatrix’s jaw. ‘It seems I’ve already found it.’
Beatrix hums. ‘You’re going to need to elaborate.’
Stella elaborates. She tilts Beatrix’s chin up just so and places a lingering kiss on Beatrix’s lips. When she pulls away, it’s with lidded eyes and a content smile. ‘How was that?’
Beatrix smiles, which quickly turns into a smirk. ‘I’d give you an A for that.’
Stella snorts. ‘I’ve always been more of an A-plus kind of student.’
Beatrix rolls her eyes. She was a fool for being jealous. She pulls Stella down and gets her confirmation that her girlfriend was very much aiming to be a high-achiever.
They pull away and walk down the main hall once more. With her hand in Stella’s, Beatrix can’t believe she was jealous. Those girls might have their words and touches, but they’d never get this. She feels more than a little smug about that fact.
When they split up for the night, heading to their opposite suites, Beatrix is prepared to wake up and have a jealously-free day. Or so she tells herself.
Yet. Here she is. The next day. She glares daggers at the girl practically draping herself over Stella as they sit around the common room. She sits with the Winx Club girls. Another thing to bring down their mood. Especially with how much they want her to open up and share her feelings. No. Nope. Absolutely not.
They weren’t entirely terrible… when Stella was around.
But Stella wasn’t here. No. She was over there. Getting flirted with again.
She huffs and crosses her arms. No. She wasn’t going to send that girl a dosage of sparks. Unless she continues doing this, that is. Afterwards, can she really be held liable for her actions? She doesn’t think so.
Terra knocks her elbow against Beatrix’s, ‘You know she only has eyes for you, right?’
Beatrix locks her jaw. ‘Of course, I do.’
Musa chips in. ‘So that expression on your face and,’ she waves her hand over Beatrix’s form, ‘Overall vibe I’m getting, isn’t murder?’
Beatrix rolls her eyes. ‘I have no intention of being imprisoned again if that’s your question.’
‘Right…’ Aisha speaks up. ‘Well, you’re clearly planning something.’
Beatrix puts on a smile, her eyes telling another story. ‘I’m planning how to get away from all of you and your supposed infinite knowledge about my love life.’
Flora nods her head. ‘You’ve just got to let all of those bad feelings out.’
Maybe she should change tactics and instead direct her magic at these annoyances. They were almost as equally as infuriating as that girl… sliding her hand down Stella’s arm to her hand.
No. She was not allowing that.
She considers flicking her wrist and sending that girl flying. She’s stopped by the fear of the girl pulling Stella along with her.
Instead, she chooses something else.
She rises from her chair and walks over to Stella and the girl.
Stella smiles when she catches sight of her. For some reason, the daft girl beside her takes it as competition and pushes herself against Stella’s side. No. She would not be having that.
Yes. She was jealous.
She grips the collar of Stella’s shirt and tugs her down into a kiss. For a moment Stella is frozen and she wonders if she’s just ruined their relationship because of some girl.
Her worries are quickly cut short. Stella places a hand on the back of her neck and the other on her waist, pulling her closer. Beatrix smiles into the kiss, hearing the loud footsteps of that defeated girl fade into the distance.
When they pull away from each other, the students around them have expressions of awe and disbelief. The Winx girls are the sole exception, laughing loudly amongst themselves.
Stella holds her in place. ‘What was that?’
Beatrix looks down, feeling embarrassed about the whole thing, even if she finally claimed her victory. ‘Those girls are dreadful.’
Stella rubs her side and pulls her to the edge of the room towards a bench. She sits down and tugs Beatrix to follow her action.
Beatrix sighs, slumping onto the bench. ‘Can’t you see how they were all flirting with you? They were practically wrapping themselves around you.’
Stella rubs her chin. ‘I didn’t realise that’s what they were doing.’ Her cheeks flush brightly. ‘All of them?’
Beatrix sighs, of course, she didn’t know. When it came to knowing men were attracted to her, Stella’s training from her mother seemed to make it second nature. Women, however? It took months of flirting and invitations before Stella finally realised what Beatrix was asking of her.
She smiles and reaches for Stella’s hand, pulling it up to place a kiss on the back of it. ‘All of them.’ She rubs her thumb against Stella’s hand. ‘I will admit that I was…’ she lowers her voice and rushes the word out, ‘Jealous.’
Stella cups her spare hand around her ear. ‘I’m sorry, what was that?’
She repeats it in the same way, her cheeks starting to flush. When Stella asks again, a grin on her face, Beatrix realises she heard the first time.
She groans. She loved this girl, but she enjoyed her ability to tease Beatrix far too much.
Stella’s smugness fades, a soft smile taking its place. ‘I promise you will never need to be jealous. I plan to stay by your side, until at the very least,’ she pauses, tapping the corner of Beatrix’s eyes, ‘Those crinkles become permanent.’
Beatrix smiles and leans against Stella’s side, her head resting against her shoulder. ‘You’ll be waiting a while, princess, my skin-care routine had at least ten steps.’
Stella hums and wraps an arm around Beatrix’s waist, keeping her close. ‘Oh, what a tragedy, to stay with you until you turn it into only five steps.’
Beatrix laughs. ‘It’s never going to happen.’
Stella runs her hand down Beatrix’s side. ‘We’ll see.’
Stella repositions herself on the bench so that she can lean her head against Beatrix’s. They watch the students mill around, a few throwing them curious glances but not daring to speak up. Beatrix makes sure her glare dissuades them. It was nice to finally have said, or rather, shown, their relationship.
Beatrix pulls Stella off the bench when the final bell rings, signalling they’re late to class. She can’t bring herself to care. Her only thought is on the future of the words, “We’ll see.”