Work Text:
“Hey, I’m not going to be too busy tonight. Do you want to have a sleepover, Pela?” Lynx asks innocently.
Instantly, Pela goes into panic mode. “W-wha?”
The two Belobogians are in the artifact restoration room of the History and Culture Museum, examining a bunch of old machinery and equipment. Lynx found all this stuff from before the Eternal Freeze on her latest expedition earlier today, and, thinking it might be useful to the museum, brought it there to have it appraised. And so Pela, being the good friend and trusted partner of the museum that she was, decided to help sort through Lynx’s finds. It was a simple enough task that’s just been hugely complicated.
“You know, a sleepover,” Lynx explains, inspecting an old fuel cell. “Like the ones we used to have all the time. I’ve been really busy lately, so my siblings suggested I have you over while I have the chance.”
“Oh… right,” Pela nods.
“So do you want to?” Lynx asks.
“Um… yes! Sure! Definitely!” Pela stammers – then instantly regrets her actions. What has she done?
It’s not that she doesn’t want to hang out with her best bestie Lynx. She’s her best friend, they love spending time together! And she’s truly grateful for the invitation – she’s aware that Lynx isn’t exactly the most sociable person, so for them to be able to trust her this much is a real honor! The two of them have had sleepovers before, and the feeling of being the only person in the world who gets to see Lynx Landeau at her most vulnerable is something Pela treasures.
But… maybe she treasures it too much.
Because here’s the issue: as of late, Pela has been having particular… thoughts about Lynx. The kind that frequently show up in the Tales of the Winterlands fanfics she writes. The kind that are decidedly not platonic. She’s just can’t stop pondering how cute Lynx is when they’re pouring over the finds from their latest expedition, or how brave Lynx is when she’s trekking into the unknown, or how soft Lynx’s lips would feel pressed up against Pela’s own. And while Pela has been able to keep these feelings in check during typical interactions with Lynx, a sleepover will be extremely risky. All those hours spent in close proximity with them will be… tempting. Pela doesn’t trust herself to not screw up and ruin their friendship.
But it’s too late now – what’s done is done. Pela can’t just cancel the sleepover either, because the disappointed look on Lynx’s face would feel like a million icy daggers in her heart.
“Awesome!” Lynx chirps, blissfully ignorant to Pela’s inner torment. She places the fuel cell under a microscope and peering through the lens. “What time did you want to come over?”
Pela hums indecisively, trying her best to focus on the old vase she’s inspecting. “Say, seven or so? What should I bring?”
“I don’t know. Maybe some snacks or something,” Lynx answers.
“Okay,” Pela says with a confidence she doesn’t really have. “Sounds like a plan.”
Lynx looks up at Pela. “Great! I’ll let Serval know,” they exclaim.
…Oh, no.
Pela was so focused on how Lynx would react to discovering her hidden feelings that she forgot about the even bigger concern – their big sister Serval!
Now, Pela likes Serval. They’re good friends! They play in a band together! But Pela also can’t deny that Serval can be scary sometimes, when the occasion calls for it. And one of those occasions, apparently, is whenever someone tries to make a move on one of her precious little siblings.
Perhaps it’s due to Serval’s own tumultuous failed romance with Cocolia (which she hasn’t ever spoken about, but come on, it’s kind of obvious), but she seems to despise the notion of anyone dating her younger siblings. Pela has seen her stare daggers at anyone who’s tried to approach Lynx on the street, and she once bludgeoned Sampo over the head with her guitar for flirtatiously winking at Gepard one time. And even though she and Bronya aren’t related, she did still give Seele a very detailed and effective shovel talk once the supreme guardian and the underworlder started dating. Pela doesn’t think she’s ever seen Seele as pale as she was after that conversation. So while Pela and Serval are definitely friends, if Serval ever discovers the thoughts Pela has been having about Lynx, she will definitely kill her.
And here’s the kicker: because of how often Lynx is away on expeditions, she never felt the need to get her own house. Which means that she and Serval live together. Pela has just agreed to a sleepover with the object of her affections, in the house of the overprotective big sister who will probably murder her on the spot if she does anything untoward.
Back in the real world outside Pela’s panicking mind, she forces her mouth into a smile and murmurs, “…Great!”
“Awesome,” Lynx concurs. Then she gingerly removes the fuel cell from the microscope and says, “Alright, I have to go drop this off at the Ministry of Science.”
Pela’s interest is piqued. “Why, is it something important?”
“No big deal, just might have discovered a new species of micro-organism living on this,” Lynx says, flashing a cute grin that makes Pela’s insides turn to jelly. “Be right back!” they shout, scampering out the door.
…Oh yeah. Pela’s definitely going to die.
. . .
At six forty-five, Pela knocks on the door of the Everwinter workshop as delicately as she would handle a fragile piece of survey equipment. Her back is straining under the weight of her knapsack – Lynx had said she didn’t need to bring much, but Pela decided that she’s going to be a Good, Platonic Friend™ and bring a bunch of extra snacks, books, and video games anyways. Just so she can be prepared for whatever Lynx is in the mood for! Like a good friend would be.
To Pela’s horror, Serval is the one who opens the door. The elder Landeau gives her a warm smile and says, “Hey, Pela! Good to see you. Lynxy’s already set up upstairs, so you can just head up right away.”
“R-right. Thanks, Serval!” Pela stammers, slipping inside the workshop.
Seval shuts the door behind her. “I have to say, it’s really nice to have you over again. I know Lynxy hates it when I go into ‘protective big sis’ mode, but… just between you and me, I think she’s been feeling a little down lately.”
Pela pauses her beeline towards the stairs long enough to turn back to Serval and murmur, “…Oh?”
“Yeah, I think they need to let people in a bit more. Trouble is, not a lot of people are super accepting of their quirks, you know?” Serval chuckles affectionately.
Pela nods and inches toward the stairs. “Uh-huh.”
“I guess what I’m trying to say is, thanks for being there for her,” Serval says, leaning her hip against her work desk.
Right. Because Pela is Lynx’s completely platonic friend. “Yep. Uh-huh. No problem,” Pela agrees.
Serval smirks. “Alright, I won’t hold you up any longer. I’m sure you want to get going. You crazy kids have fun, alright?”
“I’m not a kid, Serval,” comes muffled grumbling from the top of the stairs.
“Lynxy!” Pela grabs onto that voice like a lifeline, quickly scrambling up the stairs. The youngest Landeau sibling, it transpires, is crouching at the top of the stairwell. “Hey, I’m here,” Pela greets her. “I mean… obviously I’m here, heh.”
“Hey, Pela. You’re early,” Lynx notes. Then they peer over Pela’s shoulder. “That’s a really big bag.”
“Yeah, I grabbed some extra stuff from my place.”
Lynx tilts her head to the side in confusion. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yeah,” Pela acknowledges, trying to think of some words to say. “…But I decided I wanted to.”
Lynx shrugs. “Alright. Well, I guess we have more options of stuff to do now.” They stand up, grab Pela’s hand (by the Aeons, they grab Pela’s hand!!!) and gently pull her to their room.
Lynx’s bedroom is exactly how Pela remembers it: small, crowded, yet cozy. Lynx’s gaming system, some books, and a ludicrous amount of pillows are already set up. There is, however, one pressing issue, and it has to do with the absence of something that’s usually present at their sleepovers. Pela bites her lip.
Lynx notices, of course. “Uh oh. That’s the ‘I’m uncomfortable’ Pela lip-bite,” she murmurs. “…Are there too many pillows?”
Pela shakes her head. “You and I both know that there’s no such thing as too many pillows,” she says fondly. “It’s just that, well… where’s my sleeping bag?”
“Oh, it’s not here,” Lynx chirps, taking a seat on the bed.
Pela blinks. “…Why is it not here?”
“It’s busted,” Lynx explains. “I took it out on my last expedition, but I ran into some fragmentum creatures and it got ripped. Serval is going to see if there’s someone who can fix it.”
Okay, that makes sense. “But… where am I going to sleep, then?” Pela asks trepidatiously.
Lynx pauses for a moment. “…Huh. Um… I guess you could just sleep in my bed with me, then.”
Pela bravely manages to not react outwardly to that, despite the fact that she is currently having a heart attack. “Um, wouldn’t that be weird? Like, what would Serval think if she saw us?”
“Why would it be weird?” Lynx asks. “Serval and Cocolia used to sleep over all the time.”
“I don’t think they’re the best metric to use on this,” Pela mutters.
Lynx studies Pela. “Wait, so is this why you’re uncomfortable?” they ask, concerned. “You don’t want to sleep with me?”
Keep your mind out of the gutter! She didn’t mean it like that! Pela internally screams. Nevertheless, her cheeks turn warm enough to heat a Belobog city block. “N-no, it’s fine, I’m… just surprised, I guess,” she manages to stutter out. “…Are you comfortable with this, though?”
“Yeah, of course it’s fine. It was my idea,” Lynx says simply. “Now get over here, we have to talk about that new Tales of the Winterlands fan book that just came out.”
And all of a sudden, all thoughts of awkwardness vanish from Pela’s mind in favor of a much more pressing issue – tearing apart that terrible fan book. “Oh, don’t even get me started,” Pela groans, doffing her coat and bag and marching over to the bed. “I’ve seen plenty of Tales fanfics, good and bad, but this one takes the cake. What happened to Anna was total character assassination!”
“I know!” Lynx says, peeling back the covers so she and Pela can get in. “They basically turned her into a villain.”
“All so they could pair Artem off with Dalmir,” Pela sighs, snuggling under the covers with Lynx. “Look, I’m the biggest ArtMir shipper around, but you can’t just sacrifice Anna to get them together!”
“At least pair her off with the queen, or something,” Lynx grumbles, leaning into Pela.
Pela nods solemnly. “You understand me, Lynx.”
Lynx giggles cutely. “Hey, it’s all thanks to you teaching me how to tell the difference between good Tales fics and bad ones.” Then she nudges Pela and adds, “And yours are the best, after all!”
“Come on, you’re just saying that,” Pela insists, fighting back a blush.
Lynx shakes their head. “No, I mean it. Your writing is really beautiful!”
“T-thanks,” Pela mumbles, the battle against the blush conclusively lost. She needs a new conversation topic. “So, um… I remember you saying a few months ago that you wanted to play a real copy of StarQuest 4, right…?”
“Yep, it’s been on my wish list for forever!” Lynx answers.
“Well, I was digging through the museum archives a couple days ago, and I managed to find…” Pela begins, reaching an arm over the side of the bed and rooting through her bag, “…this!” She produces a memory stick, compatible with Lynx’s portable gaming console. “I got permission to copy the data from the archives. This should be an authentic copy of the original StarQuest 4.”
Lynx quickly snatches the drive out of Pela’s hands and cradles it like it’s the key to solving the Eternal Freeze. “Pelageya Sergeyevna,” she says reverently, “you are officially my favorite person ever.”
“Oh, um… thanks,” Pela murmurs, as the blush continues to conquer territory unopposed.
“You’re welcome!” Lynx chirps. “Now, there’s no time to waste. Let’s get this booted up!”
. . .
The sleepover, thankfully, is a complete success. Before long, Pela completely forgets about her awkwardness and impure thoughts and just lets herself enjoy her time with Lynxy. The two of them play through the entirety of StarQuest 4’s co-op mode (although really, it’s Lynx doing all the work while Pela just sort of presses buttons and hopes for the best). After that, they read a book together, trade work stories, and eat way too many unhealthy snacks before they finally drift off to sleep.
Then Pela wakes up in the morning, and the awkwardness returns with a vengeance.
The issue is that, sometime during the night, she and Lynx became rather… intertwined, so to speak. Now Lynx’s arms are wrapped around her torso, their legs are intertwined, and their bodies are pressed very close together. Close enough that, even after the years of hormones that Pela has taken, she can’t imagine that Lynx would miss the… certain something pressed up between them.
Based on the angle of the morning sun streaming through Lynx’s window, Pela estimates that it’s about nine o’clock in the morning. Lynx has barely ever been known to sleep any later than seven. They could wake up at any moment, and then they’ll think Pela is gross and never want to speak to her again.
She quickly sets herself to the precarious task of extricating herself from Lynx’s grip without waking them. It’s not easy – the littlest Landeau somehow has the hugging strength of a vise. After a few unsuccessful attempts at loosening their grip, Pela decides to place one of the many, many pillows in between the two of them for Lynx to cuddle instead. It’s a careful process, but she manages to slowly move one of Lynx’s arms from her to the pillow. Then she takes a quick breather before starting on the other arm, which is when she glances to the doorway to see that Serval is there.
The older woman smirks. “Having fun, Pela?” she says quietly.
Pela is so dead. “This isn’t what it looks like,” she pleads.
“Right. Well, once you finish up, come meet me downstairs. I want to talk to you about something.” Then Serval turns and heads back down the stairs.
…Right. As far as demises go, this is going to be a particularly humiliating one. There’s no avoiding it now, though. Pela sighs, then gets to work removing Lynx’s other arm.
After that’s complete, Pela gingerly slips out of the bed, throws on a spare robe over her nightclothes, and creeps down the stairs.
Serval is waiting for her on the ground floor of the workshop, nursing a cup of coffee. “Hey,” she greets Pela. “Go ahead and take a seat.”
Pela, sweating up a storm, does so. The two of them sit in silence for a moment. The quiet is torturous.
Finally, Serval clears her throat. “So… I’ve noticed that you and Lynx have gotten closer recently,” she says a little awkwardly.
Pela’s mouth is dry. “Yeah,” she mutters.
“I mean, you two were always close, but… even closer than that. She trusts you. She’s open with you,” Serval continues.
Pela nods.
Serval leans forward in her seat. “So… what’s your secret?”
Pela blinks twice. “Serval, are you… asking me for advice on how to talk to Lynx?” she asks incredulously.
“I mean… a little?” Serval answers, scratching the back of her scalp. “She’s always been pretty independent, and me being pretty overprotective probably just encouraged that. I just wish she felt comfortable to come to me with her problems, you know? Like she does with you.”
Pela is, for once, at a loss for words. “I’m… afraid I can’t help you much. I don’t have any special strategy I use when I speak with Lynx. I just… be myself, really.”
“Right,” Serval chuckles affectionately. “I suppose the bond you two have is pretty special. I mean, you are their girlfriend, after all…”
Pela’s brain freezes up. “W-wait, sorry, can you repeat that last part?”
“Your bond is special…?”
“No, not that part, the other part!”
“…You’re their girlfriend…?”
“I’M THEIR GIRLFRIEND?” Pela shrieks.
“Okay, first of all, quiet down a little. Some of us are still half asleep,” Serval instructs. “Second of all… I kind of thought so, yeah. Are you… not?”
“Not the last time I checked, no,” Pela says, her voice a little wobbly.
“Huh. I thought all the solo expeditions, lunch dates, sleepovers, and cuddling was indicative of something, but apparently not? Maybe it’s a generational thing…” Serval murmurs to herself, then takes a sip of her coffee.
“Okay, yes, those are definitely similar to relationship things, but… hold on,” Pela interrupts. “Were you okay with the idea of me and Lynx dating?”
Serval raises an eyebrow. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because you’ve chased off everyone else who’s ever tried to flirt with her,” Pela says simply. “And you hit Sampo over the head with your guitar.”
“Pfft. I mean yeah, of course I’m going to keep some random creeps from hitting on Lynx, I’m her big sister! It’s my job!” Serval exclaims. “And as for Sampo… look, it’s Sampo, alright? Don’t tell me you’ve never wanted to smack him a good one before.”
Pela understands completely. “But… what about Seele, then? Didn’t you threaten her a whole bunch after she started dating Bronya?”
Serval chuckles. “Oh yeah, that was part of a prank I pulled with Natasha – you know, Seele’s adoptive mom? I gave Seele the shovel talk, Natasha gave the exact same one to Bronya, and then we waited to see how long it took until they figured it out. It was hilarious. They were really mad at us, but it was so worth it…” Serval explains, trailing off into laughter.
“So… wait,” Pela mutters, trying to sort out all her thoughts. “You’d really be okay with me dating Lynx?”
“Yeah, of course,” Serval says, her expression changing into a soft smile. “How long have we known each other now? I trust you, Pela. I mean, you’re practically part of the family already, right? Might as well make it official.”
Pela is definitely not starting to tear up at that, thank you very much. “Thanks, Serval,” she murmurs.
Before anything else can be said, the sounds of ruffling sheets and muffled groaning emanate from the stairwell. “Looks like Lynxy’s awake,” Serval remarks.
“It… might be prudent for me to have a talk with her,” Pela decides.
“Agreed,” Serval says, covering up her smile with her coffee mug. “Well, don’t let me keep you.”
Without another moment of hesitation, Pela marches back up the stairs and into Lynx’s room. Lynx herself is sitting up in bed and blinking the sleep out of their eyes. “Oh, hey, Pela,” they mumble. “What’s with all the shouting?”
“Good morning, Lynx,” Pela says with the utmost seriousness, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t wish to alarm you, but it’s come to my attention that we may be dating.”
Lynx considers this. “…Oh,” she finally says. “Who told you this?”
“Serval.”
“Hmm.” Lynx puts a hand on her chin. “Did she provide supporting evidence?”
“We’ve been participating in a number of dating activities, including getting meals together, going on trips and excursions, prolonged physical contact, and spending time at each other’s residences.”
“Interesting,” Lynx nods. “But none of these are done exclusively by couples, right?”
“It’s true that correlation does not equal causation. Taken individually, these examples aren’t compelling,” Pela notes. “But when taken as a larger whole, these instances create a pattern.”
“You make an excellent point,” Lynx responds. “However, you’re missing a necessary data point. Couples typically participate in and enjoy the act of kissing, correct?”
“Oh,” Pela deflates. “Right, I—”
“So clearly, more research is needed to deduce whether we’re compatible,” Lynx decides, scooching towards Pela and leaning in. “Kiss me.”
The sight of Lynx’s lips so close to her own nearly makes Pela short-circuit. “W-wha?”
“We’re both scientists,” Lynx says matter-of-factly. “We both know that the only way to confirm a theory is to… field-test it, right? So kiss me.” Their cheeks flush. “Please?”
Pela kisses her. It’s probably not great as far as kisses go, if she’s being honest – Pela’s only kissing experience has been making out with the back of her hand for research in writing spicy fanfic scenes, and Lynx doesn’t seem to know what she’s doing either. So they just kind of awkwardly push their lips together.
But even so, it might be the greatest sensation Pela has ever experienced in her life.
Lynx is the first one to pull back, face red and breath shallow. “Okay. That was nice. Could be even better,” they decide.
“We can practice?” Pela offers.
“Sounds good,” Lynx says. “But in the meantime… what do couples do again? Right, they get meals together.” They look directly into Pela’s eyes. “Let’s get breakfast.”
“I’m afraid we missed breakfast,” Pela giggles. “I think it’s closer to lunch now.”
“Then let’s get lunch. Oh! I’ll pay for lunch,” Lynx says. “…If that’s okay with you?”
Pela smiles and intertwines her fingers with Lynx’s. “That sounds perfect.”
Lynx bites her lip shyly and stares at their connected hands.
“That was adorable, you two!” Serval shouts from downstairs.
Lynx instantly buries their blushing face in the sheets. “Servaaaaaal…”
Pela can’t help but laugh.
(Okay, so… maybe this sleepover wasn’t such a bad idea after all.)