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Maya Fey is observant.
She has to be observant when assisting with trials and focusing on her work as a spirit medium. People have so many tells that reveal the things that they're hiding, whether they're aware of hiding it or not. It's often Maya's duty to assist with finding the truth, but she's always liked being able to figure out how the people around her are feeling.
Some people can be very expressive, which helps with identifying their feelings. Others, however, are not; Still, a slight quirk of the mouth or the eyebrow can lead to fascinating results. And, as Maya finds, it's less of a science, but something that comes with practice and with getting to know a person.
Back before she really knew Franziska von Karma, she had assumed that the woman was as perfect as she claimed, that nothing could faze her. Franziska seemed fearless, especially in court. She could intimidate the people around her with a single raised brow, the confidence almost dripping off her. She could still hear her barking accusations, smoothly providing the explanations to support her argument. "That is why," she would nearly purr, "Maya Fey is the only one who could've killed him!"
It had made even Maya falter, made her wonder if she could be sure of herself and what she believed.
She was only doing her job, of course, but a part of Maya had believed that Franziska took some sort of pleasure in watching Phoenix flounder to prove her innocence, almost like she herself wanted to send Maya to jail, or worse.
Franziska von Karma was a prosecutor, and a perfect one at that. She would not stand until Maya Fey was found guilty.
As she got to know her, later, when the two are no longer meeting only in courtrooms where Maya is believed to be a murderer, she starts to unveil the truth of Franziska von Karma's cold exterior; She is not perfect, she is not flawless, and she can feel unpleasant emotions just like anyone else.
And pleasant emotions, too, she discovers, like the fluttering in her stomach and a telltale heat rising to her cheeks. Maya is only minutely surprised when the woman asks her out on a date and the two later become partners.
When Franziska comes over to Kurain to see her, as they had arranged, she is able to sense something is wrong immediately. Franziska walks stiffly and her motions are slow, unlike the usual determined stride she carries herself with.She does not offer her usual greetings. Maya takes her coat for her, placing it on a hook. "Thank you," Franziska says.
"Of course," Maya says, and encourages her to take her shoes off. "Stay a while."
Maya makes tea for the both of them and sits down next to her on the couch. She hands Franziska her cup and she takes it carefully. Franziska avoids her eyes as she says, "I do not believe we can fulfill our plans tonight."
"The dinner?" Maya asks. The plan had been for Franziska to pick her up and bring her to some restaurant she's been telling her about for ages, wanting to introduce her to some fancy cuisine. Maya was never picky, but she could tell it meant a lot to her, so she had allowed her to make the reservation. She waves it off. "That's fine, Fran. Besides, you know me, I'll eat anything. We can just make something or order takeout."
She frowns. This time, she does look at Maya. "But I promised."
Her voice wobbles, and Maya gets the impression this is more than just not being able to fulfill a commitment or keep a promise. She places an arm around her shoulder and gently brings her closer, which Franziska allows, sighing as she rests her head down on Maya's shoulder.
"There's always next time."
"Yes, I know," Franziska says.
The two continue drinking their tea, with Maya biting her tongue in an attempt to avoid pushing her to explain more while also encouraging her to open up. She's glad only a few minutes pass before Franziska approaches the subject.
"I haven't been feeling well lately," she admits. "Some things have been… distracting me, and I feel as though I would not be… at my best during our date."
"You don't have to be at your best," Maya replies. "I'm sure we would've still had a nice night."
"Yes," Franziska agrees and nods. "However, I did intend for it to be a special occasion, and as such, I must be at my best so that I could provide… the best."
She's not sure if it's because of inexperience or something else, but Franziska often treats their relationship like a duty - Maya doesn't see it as a negative thing. Franziska gives it her all, something she shows in many different ways. She gives gifts, she makes time for her, and she always manages to say the sweetest things, things Maya had not thought the woman was capable of.
Yet again, Franziska proves her wrong.
But even though she is observant, Maya knows there are certain things she can tell through just her knowledge of what Franziska is like. It is not that she merely strives for perfection; She berates herself when she fails, even though she never seems to berate Maya if she does anything wrong or fails. It's as if Franziska holds herself to a higher standard, not because she sees people as lower than her, but because she believes she must do the impossible.
Frankly, she's not sure of whether it's strength or weakness that has continued that conviction. However, Maya does believe she knows who to blame, and a fire seems to rise in her gut as she thinks of the culprit: Manfred von Karma.
"I understand why you feel that way," Maya says. She grabs one of her hands, clasping it gently. Franziska squeezes, offering a grateful smile. "You haven't been feeling well?"
She knows that for now, she will have to change the subject from Franziska's failure; It can be hard to sway her, even when she confronts her with logic. Now, she will offer comfort.
"The reason as to why is not important," Franziska denies. "But it is something I am working on."
"Fran," she says gently, "you know you could always come to me, you don't have to deal with it alone."
“I don’t want to be a bother.”
A sharp laugh escapes her and Maya quickly stifles it, placing a hand to cover her mouth. Franziska lifts her head, revealing a scowl. Maya taps her cheek as she decides to start an argument she knows will last a while. "I bother you all the time," she says. "Last time you comforted me, were you thinking at all that I was annoying or you… I don't know, had better things to do?"
"Admittedly, that was not at all on my mind when you had a nightmare about your deceased sister and needed some comfort."
Her tone is flat, straight to the point. Maya recalls the event and flinches, not at the memory but rather at the poor example. She begins thinking deeply of an example that would actually show her point. She wants it to be ridiculous, something that was upsetting but not truly devastating, something that will show her girlfriend that if she's willing to comfort Maya in such a low-stake moment, then it's only fair that she should be allowed to do the same when it was clearly leaving Franziska in a delicate state.
Her eyes widen and she brings her hands together, looking back at Franziska with determination. "What about when I complained that my leftovers were soggy and I started crying?"
Franziska doesn't even blink. "You were on your menstrual," she explains. "Ensuring your comfort during a time like that is surely not a bother."
This argument continues in a cycle. Maya manages to find a stupid thing that Franziska had helped her with and it turns out to not be that stupid after all. Or, rather, her girlfriend is able to justify everything. Though she enjoys arguing, to an extreme degree, Maya finds herself exhausted, her heart sinking in her chest more and more as the realization comes that she may never be able to convince Franziska that after everything she has done for her, Maya wants to be able to return it.
When she is about to give up hope, she realizes there's one more thing she can try. A change of approach could appeal more to Franziska's logical sensibilities.
"Franziska."
"Maya."
"Do you remember," Maya starts, slowly, carefully, "what you said to me when you first asked me out?"
"Of course I do! Do you believe my memory is that awful?"
"I believe your words had been 'I, Franziska von Karma, will be devoted to the role of girlfriend of Maya Fey'".
Reminiscing on that moment makes her smile. Franziska's approach with asking her out had been one of the things that really solidified her feelings, made her realize it had been more than infatuation but rather the beginnings of love. Her answer, back then, had been simple: "Yes… if you pay for my meals."
"Yes," Franziska replies softly. "I remember."
Hook, line, sinker.
"It is only fair that I am as dedicated and devoted to the role of girlfriend of the lovely Franziska von Karma."
"That would make sense."
"Then!" Maya exclaims, shocking the both of them. She places her cup of tea down gently and points at her accusingly. "As your girlfriend, I must be able to comfort you. It is not a bother nor a burden. Take that!"
"You have convinced me," Franziska sighs. "Let me finish my tea and I shall open up."
Maya cheers in her mind, glad that she won and can finally comfort her. She calms herself and prepares for a conversation that will likely be very sad. Again, her mind jumps to Manfred von Karma, but it is only a guess.
When Franziska begins sharing her feelings, Maya falls silent. It is nothing like she had expected. Her mind had been caught on the idea of the death of a loved one, the crushing weight of the disapproval of her family members, or the feeling of utter defeat. But Franziska's disarray is caused by something quite ridiculous, or that is how Maya perceives it.
Franziska explains that it's been a lingering feeling from when they had started dating, and nothing would make it disappear. Insecurity. "It's like a constant nagging voice in my head," she whispers. "It says to me 'you're not doing enough, she deserves better, deserves someone who could give more."
"What more could I possibly want?" Maya interjects, vaguely horrified. "You know all the things you do for me. I… I don't doubt your love!"
She feels like she should say more, should perhaps explain the reasons she's so certain, such as Franziska’s commitment to memorizing the way she likes her tea and coffee and her favorite orders at restaurants. She should remind her that she never fails to make her smile and laugh even when she feels as though it's the most impossible thing in the world. Or, Maya could tell her that she always scribbles out their names on paper, trying to figure out the best arrangement of their last names. Tell her that she's that certain that this is it for her, this is the right relationship and Franziska's the one.
Yet, Maya finds relief in the fact that this is something she can actually help with, if not by words, but with actions.
"I think," Maya says, "it is time for our date." She kisses her cheek and stands up, a plan forming in her mind. "So I can whack that nasty insecurity away and we can have a nice night!"
Seeing her determination, Franziska takes her lead. Maya instructs her to order takeout, allowing her to make all of the choices, because after all, she knows what she likes. Maya prepares for a marathon by grabbing blankets and preparing the sofa for them. She decides it's time to shake it up from the usual Steel Samurai; Instead, they will be watching some newer films, in a variety of genres. Most of them are new dramas, which is secretly one of Franziska's favorites.
Once the food arrives and they are sat down and eating, the marathon begins. She's always loved watching things with Franziska, as she's the type of woman that loves to narrate the movies with her thoughts and her feelings, which oftentimes makes her laugh. Her favorite running bit is to claim that she could play the part better, when the acting is particularly bad. One of these days, Maya wants to take her up on that and try to recreate some of those acting moments and compare it to the original.
It amuses Maya to think about, considering the woman was so devoted to everything she put her mind to. Even if she wasn't really much of an actor right now, she's confident that with enough motivation and time, she could put on quite a performance.
"I just simply wouldn't edit it this way," Franziska says, waving a popcorn kernel in her hand. Maya's sure she would've thrown it if that wasn't so uncivilized. "Or I would've given them better direction. They're so stiff!"
"At least the music's good."
"I concede that," she nods.
Maya adds in her own comments, the majority of which are jokes about the plot or the characters.
The hours fly by quickly and once the final movie has finished, she finds that she wishes it would never end. She just loves spending time with her.
"Maya Fey, you have made me very happy tonight," Franziska says, bringing her in for a hug. "Every date with you is an honor."
Being in her arms feels right. Her hold is not tight, but almost firm, and she feels the beat of Franziska's heart, her head right on her chest. The beat is consistent and Maya smiles.
"I love you, Fran."
She hears the beat of her heart accelerate and she laughs gently. Franziska is quiet for a moment, but she presses a kiss on top of her head. "I love you too, Maya."