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Elysia mumbled something incoherent, slowly opening her eyes as rays of sunlight caressed her pale skin. With her half-lidded eyes, she could see the shining sun praising the cloudless blue sky from her window, and Elysia sighed in contentment. Just from the weather alone, she could tell that it would be a lovely day, and she was definitely going to stay true to this premise.
Elysia sat up on her bed, stretching out, and while doing so, she noticed something that certainly wasn’t there when she fell asleep last night. On the nightstand stood a small bottle with a pink liquid poured into it. Elysia, curious as always, took the bottle into her hands, examining it more carefully, and she noticed a label with two words written on it.
“A love potion?” Elysia read out loud, her brows furrowed in confusion.
Why would there be something like this in her room? And who could have possibly left it here?
She should probably give it to Dr. Mei or Mobius for inspection. Goodness knows what could possibly be in this bottle. Were love potions even a thing? It was all too suspicious for her liking.
Suddenly, an impish thought took root in Elysia’s mind, and the girl couldn’t help but smirk, excitement already overwhelming her senses.
Certainly, whatever was in this bottle couldn’t possibly be harmful. No one would want to hurt this adorable pink lady, after all. So what would happen if she tried to give this potion to someone else?
She already had a particular person in mind. This lovely scientist who was always deep in her work would do just fine for her little experiment. It would be a nice change to see this serious facade break. It really wouldn’t hurt Mobius to smile once in a while. Elysia hoped this potion could help with this matter. And if Mobius didn’t smile, then, at least, she would have a bit of fun.
What doesn’t kill you makes you fall in love, or so they say.
And Elysia certainly wouldn’t mind if Mobius fell in love with her. Certainly not.
So, overjoyed, Elysia put the potion back on the nightstand and quickly ran to the bathroom to take a shower and prepare herself for the day, which shaped up very well so far.
Elysia knocked on the lab’s door, but she didn’t really care about getting approval from the other side that she could enter. She believed she was always welcomed at her favorite scientist’s place. So, she pushed the door open, the potion hidden behind her back, and she smiled when she noticed Mobius writing something on her desk in haste.
“Hi, Mobius!” Elysia exclaimed, and soon after hearing the scientist groan, she let out a giggle while approaching the desk where the woman sat.
“Elysia,” Mobius said matter-of-factly, not taking her eyes away from her papers even for a second. Elysia almost wanted to pout at the cold treatment, but she knew she would soon have her fun, so she decided not to comment on that.
“My dear Mobius, I have a little request for you.”
Mobius sighed, but she finally put her pen down and turned to look at the pink-haired girl who beamed with delight.
“What is it?” she asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
“Could you drink this for me?” Elysia took the bottle with pink liquid from behind her back and showed it to the doctor, placing it on the desk.
Mobius’ eyes widened only for a moment; then her expression returned to her usual irritated self. “What’s this?” she raised her brow in suspicion.
This time Elysia couldn’t stop a pout from appearing on her face. “Aww, come on. Do you always have to ask so many questions? Can’t you just trust me?”
“What’s this?” Mobius repeated, this time more sternly.
Elysia’s pout deepened, but she conceded. “A love potion,” she admitted, her voice suddenly much quieter.
“A what?!” Mobius rose from her chair, now towering over the petite pink-haired figure.
“Now, now. There’s no need to get so worked up. You’ll only get wrinkles on that pretty face of yours.” Elysia wanted to brush her fingertips over Mobius’ forehead to show the woman what she had meant by her words. However, Mobius took a step back before she could do it, so Elysia withdrew her hand with a sigh. “I only want you to try it. I’m sure it doesn’t work.”
Mobius crossed her arms. “So why would you want me to try it if you’re so sure it doesn’t work? And how can you even know it doesn’t work?”
“Still so many questions…” Elysia murmured. Dealing with this scientist could be a difficult task at times. Mobius could consider herself lucky that Elysia liked her too much to mind it. “I simply found it in my room. Maybe someone wanted me to test it out. I don’t know. I already tried it, and nothing happened.” Now that was a little lie. But Mobius didn’t have to know about this. “But who knows, maybe it would be different with you. You might fall in love with me thanks to it.”
Mobius groaned at the sight of that characteristic smirk accompanied by a wink shown on Elysia’s face. She still looked skeptical.
“Just a small sip, and that’s all. Pretty please.” Elysia stared at Mobius with this adorable pleading look that no one could resist. The victory was almost there.
Mobius closed her eyes and sighed, resigned. “Fine. I’ll do it just so you can finally leave me alone.”
Elysia pretended not to hear the second sentence. “Yay!” She almost threw herself at the scientist in excitement, but she contained herself, remembering to respect the woman’s personal space. “Thank you so much, Mobius. You’re the best.”
“Don’t get so excited there.” Mobius took the potion and opened it, first smelling it in search of any suspicious scents. “You’re so annoying, Elysia,” was what the doctor said before drinking the pink liquid and emptying the bottle.
Elysia’s eyes widened a little when she noticed that Mobius had decided to drink the entire content of the bottle. She smiled at her words, though. “Maybe. But that’s why you love me so much, dear Mobius,” she giggled.
“Love?” Mobius blinked and put the empty bottle on the desk. She took a step closer to the girl. “Yes, I do love you, Elysia.”
Elysia’s smile disappeared.
What?
“Mobius?” Elysia looked in astonishment at the woman in front of her. Mobius made short work of pinning her against the desk, smirking, while the pink-haired girl gasped. Then, Elysia, flustered at the sudden proximity, turned her interest to the empty bottle where the presumable love potion was just a second ago.
So it actually works?
“What’s with that flushed face all of a sudden?” Mobius placed her hand on Elysia’s cheek, brushing over the reddened skin, and Elysia gulped; her brain turned into jelly. Mobius giggled, a rather mischievous yet sweet sound. “My, you look so adorable like this, Elysia.”
Elysia blinked two times and cleared her throat in a naive attempt to regain some semblance of control. “That’s very sweet of you… my dear Mobius,” she tried to laugh, but the sound didn’t manage to breach her mouth.
She felt a sudden pang of frustration hit her. Elysia wanted to scold herself for acting like a flustered teenager in love. She was never like this around the other woman. Why would she act differently now that Mobius finally showed affection towards her? It shouldn’t make any difference… It was still the same Mobius, after all. What was more, she should be happy. She got what she wanted, no? The lovely scientist was actually in love with her.
…Then why did it not feel good?
“My, you’re so quiet now,” Mobius chuckled. Her fingertips brushed against Elysia’s jaw, her touch leaving a searing trail on Elysia’s skin. “That’s not like you at all. I guess I should savor the moment.”
Elysia barely registered Mobius’ words, still at a complete loss. She snapped out of her thoughts though, when Mobius’ thumb skimmed over her lower lip, her face growing closer, and Elysia’s breath hitched when she realized what the scientist wanted to do.
“Mobius, wait,” she managed to separate herself from the taller woman, ignoring the emptiness she felt at the lack of that warm touch, and this time she managed to let out a nervous laugh. Mobius obeyed, not doing anything, awaiting what Elysia had to say. “How about we go through what has just happened, hmm?”
“What do you mean?” Mobius crossed her arms, a puzzled look on her face.
“I mean that you’ve drunk this love potion just like I asked you to, right?” Mobius nodded, not saying anything for now. Elysia continued. “So, tell me, my dear Mobius, how do you feel? Has something changed in you?”
Mobius shook her head. “No, nothing’s changed. I feel great, thanks,” her smirk returned as she leaned over Elysia again. “Can we get back to business now?”
“Business?” the pink-haired girl asked sheepishly, and then she gasped when she noticed that Mobius was staring at her pink lips like she had a second ago. Elysia felt her cheeks getting red again. “Ah! Yes… right. Business,” she laughed nervously once more before placing her hands on Mobius’ shoulders, grounding her. She started averting her eyes in every direction, trying to think of how to get herself out of this predicament. “Oh, that reminds me! I have some unfinished business with Dr. Mei. Would you look at the time,” Elysia looked at her wrist, pretending she was looking at a watch she didn’t even have. “I should probably go now. We’ll talk later, okay?”
Elysia patted Mobius lightly on her shoulder and then ran out of the lab, closing the door behind herself with a thud. She pretended she did not hear a certain green-haired scientist calling out her name.
Elysia took a deep breath. She focused her eyes on the wall in front of her, trying to comprehend what had just happened.
So, the potion she had given to Mobius worked, and now Mobius was in love with her. Then, the scientist started flirting with her and even wanted to kiss her, but she panicked and ran away.
Elysia felt an electric bolt going down her spine. Yes, Mobius being so interested in her was a great concept. Mobius wanting to kiss her was an incredible concept.
Mobius saying she loved her was… like a dream coming true.
However, Elysia would prefer it to happen naturally, not because of a love potion. After Mobius would return to her normal self, she could regret what she had done while having been under the mysterious spell. And the last thing Elysia would want was for her personal feelings towards the woman to get the best of her and mess something up between them.
Right! The potion had to stop working at some point. Though, looking at the fact that Mobius had drunk it all, it could take a while. In the meantime, Elysia decided that she would talk with Dr. Mei or Vill-V and ask if there was a possible antidote. Since she was the one who had made all this mess, it was only reasonable that she would be the one cleaning it.
Elysia almost cried out. According to the two geniuses, there was no such thing as a love potion, and therefore, there was no antidote for it. So, the only thing left for her was simply to wait until everything was back to normal again.
She stood in front of the lab yet again, taking a deep breath as she put her hand on the doorknob. She should probably check what Mobius was doing while she was gone.
Maybe she went crazy without Elysia’s presence and was only waiting for her to return just to throw herself into Elysia’s arms.
That would be fun to see.
The thought put a smile on the pink-haired girl’s face; a sudden jolt of confidence surged through her body and made her more eager to go through the door.
On second thought, perhaps the potion had already stopped working. Mobius might have returned to the same charming and a little grumpy self that Elysia knew and came to love. Maybe after entering the lab, everything would be like it had been just a few hours earlier.
Well, there was only one way to find out.
Elysia knocked on the door, and this time she decided to wait until either someone would open the door for her or call her to enter.
It was the latter as she heard Mobius’ muffled voice through the door, and Elysia took another deep breath before going inside.
She took a few shaky steps toward the desk where the scientist was hard at work. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Maybe the effects of the potion had run out.
“Hi, Mobius,” Elysia said in the same way as in the morning; however, her voice came out much quieter than back then. She grabbed the hem of her shirt with one of her hands nervously. Being around Mobius had never been as stressful as today.
“Ah, Elysia,” the doctor turned her gaze to the pink-haired girl immediately, a subtle smile on her face. Elysia had never seen her smile so… gently. Mobius stood up then, placing one hand on her hip. “Back so soon? Did you miss me that much?”
Elysia felt her skin heating up. “Oh, n-no! I was more scared that maybe you were the one to long for my presence.” She regained her bearings for the moment and commented in her usual playful manner.
“Hmm, yes. I did miss you a bit, Elysia. It’s good that you're here.” If Mobius noticed the way Elysia’s eyes grew bigger at her words, she didn’t mention it. She only continued. “Do you want to go for a walk with me?”
Now that was a strong attack on Elysia’s poor heart. Her knees buckled, and she had to lean back quickly on the desk for support. She noticed the scientist quirk her eyebrow, and when Elysia only laughed awkwardly, Mobius smiled in the same gentle way as before. And that was just so unfair…
Elysia’s Mobius was never this forward and open. Mobius had never invited her to spend time together. She was always too preoccupied with her work to care about such matters as socializing with people, let alone with Elysia. But what was even more striking to the pink-haired girl, her Mobius would never admit that she missed her.
At least she could be sure that the potion was still in effect.
Instead of answering, Elysia deflected the question. “But aren’t you busy?” It wasn’t a bad thing to ask. The scientist was always busy, after all.
“A little break won’t kill me,” Mobius shrugged.
…Yes, the potion was definitely still in effect. Elysia could never imagine Mobius saying something like this.
So, maybe Elysia should use it to her advantage and enjoy it while the spell lasted.
“Alright,” she grinned. “Where are you taking me, dear Mobius?” Elysia leaned towards the other woman.
“It doesn't matter as long as we’re together, no?”
Elysia’s heart skipped a beat. Getting used to this side of her charming scientist would be a difficult task.
She chuckled, smiling wildly. “You’re such a sweet talker today. Where did you learn how to talk to pretty girls like this?” she teased; her smile remained intact when she heard the scientist huff out a laugh.
Mobius walked towards the door, opened it, and made an exaggerated twirl with her hand, bowing at that, inviting Elysia to go first.
“I’m learning from the best,” she answered. Her soft smile turned into a smirk. “Now, shall we go?”
Fortunately, Mobius didn’t change as much as Elysia had originally thought. Of course, the flirting part was a new addition, and the way she spoke her mind so openly had caught Elysia off guard a few times.
But to be fair, the pink-haired girl believed that the scientist was always like this. However, because Mobius closed off her heart, many people hadn’t been able to see her for whom she really was. For some reason, she never wanted to show her true feelings, preferring to hide in her lab with stacks of papers. The only time she actually wanted to engage with anyone, was when they were on her operating table. Elysia was glad that the potion helped to uncover these hidden pieces of Mobius’ genuine and sensitive soul.
The fact that Mobius was a good person was always clear to Elysia, with or without the potion. What she wasn’t so sure about, was whether Mobius’ feelings towards her were real or if they only appeared because she had drank that mysterious pink liquid.
As they strolled outside the MOTH’s base, Elysia’s smile started gradually fading, turning more lonesome, uncertain. Too many questions ran through her head at the same time. And she didn’t know the answer to any of them.
How would their relationship look after the potion’s effect ran out? What even was their relationship in the first place? Were they colleagues, friends or… something more? And if so, what exactly was this something more ? Maybe nothing would matter in the end, and they would return to their old routine and pretend nothing had happened. Perhaps Mobius would lock herself in her lab again, ignoring everything and everyone for her research’s sake. Today would be left forgotten, not mentioned ever again. The words I love you said by the doctor but a dimmed memory in Elysia’s heart, never touched again.
Elysia didn’t know how long would this dream bubble last, and if she should accustom to the scientist’s new personality or try not to get attached lest her hopes for anything were false.
“Elysia?” Mobius called out, her voice like velvet as she faced the pink-haired girl and reassuringly intertwined their fingers. Elysia’s eyes were glued to the action instantly. “What’s with this face?”
Elysia blinked, her crippling thoughts still apparent, even with the warm touch on her hand. She managed a small smile, trying to assure Mobius that there was nothing to worry about.
“You’re so sweet, Mobius,” she said, not addressing the question. “Just like a sugar cube.”
The scientist laughed, her smile so fond that Elysia’s heart started aching. “If I’m a sugar cube, then you’re a whole sugar factory, Elysia,” Mobius answered, giving Elysia’s hand a gentle squeeze, and the girl couldn’t help but chuckle at her words. However, what was said by the woman next made the sound disappear. “That’s why I love you so much.”
Ah, here it is again.
The words had been said with utmost sincerity and tenderness, yet Elysia couldn’t brace herself to smile after hearing them. In any other situation, she wouldn’t be able to contain her happiness. Now, however, they were just a painful reminder to her that it wasn’t real. It was just a spell.
She shouldn’t have given Mobius that potion…
Elysia’s smile was bittersweet as she untangled her hand from the scientist’s. “You’re not fully yourself, my dear Mobius.”
“I’m completely myself, Elysia.”
Elysia hummed. Of course, Mobius would be arguing with her about this. “You’ve drunk the potion–”
Mobius laughed, the sound cutting Elysia off. She looked at the scientist in confusion.
“You’ve really believed that it’s real?” Mobius asked, placing her hand on her hip and raising one eyebrow.
“What do you mean?” Elysia’s heart began racing. Whether it was because of stress or hope, she wasn’t sure.
“I was the one who made it,” Mobius admitted. “It does not affect the human body whatsoever. It was just one of my failed experiments.”
Elysia’s lips parted, shocked at the revelation. It didn’t make any sense to her.
“But– but the way you behaved… and your words–” Elysia didn’t finish with her mind being too broken to think properly.
Mobius chuckled, provokingly leaning closer to the girl. “You think I can’t be nice unless I drink a potion?”
Elysia let out an offended gasp. “You know that’s not what I meant,” she pouted, crossing her arms and averting her gaze to the side. She didn’t realize that a pink hue had appeared on her cheeks. “Why was this love potion in my room, though? How did it appear there?” she turned her face towards the other woman again.
“I put it there when you were asleep,” Mobius shrugged. Elysia gasped again after hearing that the scientist went to her room without her knowledge when she was sleeping. Mobius paid her no mind, still talking. “I added a label saying Love Potion mostly for my own enjoyment. I was curious what you would do with it when you found it. I didn’t expect that you would come to me, though.”
“And you drank it anyway?” Elysia asked, astonished after all the news she had heard in just a few minutes.
“Yes,” Mobius confirmed, a stoic expression on her face. “I knew it wasn’t harmful. And drinking it had its benefits. Your reactions were priceless.”
“Mobius!” This time, Elysia’s face turned red, her cheeks hotter and hotter as the green-haired woman laughed at her bashfulness.
Elysia looked at the ground. At least now, it was all clear. Her previous doubts were completely unnecessary since everything was fake, to begin with. It was just Mobius playing a trick on her. She chuckled inwardly at her naivety, not able to do it out loud.
Mobius must have noticed the way Elysia’s expression had changed, as she took a step closer, placing her hand on the girl’s arm.
“Elysia,” the woman waited until Elysia’s gaze returned to look at her, and only when it did, Mobius continued. “You still haven’t answered my question from before. Why did you become so solemn before? And why do you look the same way now?”
Elysia pressed her lips into a thin line, her eyes darting from side to side. “It’s just me being silly. Don’t worry about it. It’s nice of you to ask, though,” she curved her lips in a weak attempt to smile.
“Elysia,” Mobius repeated, more firmly now. Elysia almost forgot how persistent this lovely scientist could be.
“Alright,” she sighed. “Tell me, my dear Mobius. Were the things you said to me today honest? Or were they just a part of the act?”
“…And does it matter?” Mobius furrowed her brows.
Of course… Elysia should have expected this. She nodded her head in resignation. Mobius was too innocent for her to be mad or disappointed in her. But she couldn’t deny how her heart stung at the woman’s question.
It did matter. Because Elysia wanted Mobius to feel what she felt for her.
“No, you’re right. It doesn’t,” she said instead. Mobius had never seen her look so hurt. Her frown only deepened. “I yearned for something unreachable, and I shouldn’t have. I knew perfectly well what giving you the love potion could mean, yet I still did it. And now I’m disappointed and surprised even though I should have known better, and I only wanted more and–”
Her rambling was interrupted by Mobius’ lips pressed against hers. Elysia’s eyes widened, and her body tensed at the unexpected contact. When the scientist’s hand went to rest on her cheek to caress her reddened skin with her thumb, Elysia finally relaxed, her eyes closing as she reciprocated the kiss, wrapping her arms around Mobius’ neck, humming at that.
“You talk too much,” the doctor said when they parted, her breath ragged and uneven. “It doesn’t matter because I’ve always felt the same,” she explained her previously asked question.
Oh.
Mobius chuckled. “You’re so annoying sometimes, Elysia.” Yet instead of annoyance, there was only fondness on the scientist’s face, and Elysia’s eyes glimmered at the beautiful view.
She giggled. “Maybe. But that’s why you…” she hesitated.
Should she say it? She didn’t want to rush into anything, after all, or make the wrong assumptions. It was completely reasonable of her to hesitate in such a situation. Yes. She wasn’t making excuses to justify her silly doubts. Not at all.
“Love you,” Mobius finished for her. “I love you, Elysia,” she repeated, her words hitting the deepest part of Elysia’s heart. Heart, which had belonged to this sweet but at times grumpy scientist for a long time already.
And what more could Elysia do if not smile at her words and kiss her again?