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Disclaimer: I Own Nothing
That light needs to be changed out.
“Tell me why I’m here again?” The bored woman did her best to hold in a labored sigh and brought her eyes away from the ceiling when she heard the curtain open. Down a short hall from where she sat, her friend stepped out of the dressing room with yet another pastel colored sundress that shown bright as the sun. So b right.
“You,” she pointed with a hand on her hip. “My dear friend, are here to give me your honest opinion of course!” Came the happiest reply ever that was completed with a smile that should have been illegal. “I told you last week that I’ve got a date this weekend and I need you to pick one of these, remember?”
“I don’t recall having agreed to accompany you on a shopping spree. Ma’am.” The grumpy woman nearly growled.
“I asked very politely this morning if you were free and you said yes.” Navia sniffed arrogantly and then turned to look herself over in the mirror with a critical eye.
Damn. She’s not wrong.
“Fine. But I’m gonna say that all these dresses look the same.” Arlecchino partly huffed and then narrowly dodged a flying plastic hanger aimed at her face. “Look, if you wanted an honest opinion that mattered, you could have asked Furina to come with you.” She genuinely had no idea why she was even dragged along when she could have been doing something else. Anything other than shopping. It was the bane of her existence.
“Well, Furina was busy with her own things today and Nevvy’s working. Guess that leaves you, bestie!” The blonde grinned cheekily before snatching another dress up and then going back in to try it on.
“Please don’t call me that.” Dark eyes closed wearily. “Anyway, couldn’t you have asked,” Arlecchino had to take a moment to remind herself of the names. “Melus, was it? Or Silver? Aren’t they your left and right hands or something?”
“This isn’t for the boys.” Navia poked her head back out and all but glared daggers at her friend who raised a brow at her state of dress. Or undress. Luckily, no one else was around to see that the curtain slipped a bit and showed off more skin than Arlecchino had been used to seeing from her friend.
How shameless . She chose to keep that thought to herself since another hanger was pointed right at her.
“Besides, they’d probably say the same things you’re saying.” Navia giggled and disappeared again, much to the taller woman’s relief. She wasn’t sure how she’d managed to dodge that first hanger and wasn’t ready to test her reflexes again so soon.
“Probably.” She cleared her throat and then brought her eyes back to the tiny crack in the ceiling next to the flickering light. “Though, Melus strikes me as a very comfortable man that would have a much better opinion about your dresses than me.” She thought of how close those three actually were, having rarely seen them apart since she’d known them. “Them aside, don’t you have any other—“ she paused when the curtain slid open to reveal a simple midnight blue dress that had sunflower prints scattered all around it. “That one.” She stated immediately, forgetting whatever she was going to say next.
“Yeah?” Navia partly squealed and then spun around in it, letting the material flow around her like a blooming flower itself. “I think it’s really cute.” And then she looked closer into the mirror at her reflection.
“Super cute. Your date is gonna need to be sent to the ER when they see you.” The two tone haired woman nodded to herself and then snorted when all her comment did was earn her a slap to the arm.
“I can do without the sarcasm, dear.” Navia rolled her eyes and then looked back to the mirror. “You don’t think the front shows too much cleavage, do you?”
Shameless. Dark eyes fell to where Navia was basically pushing her breasts together with a thoughtful look on her face. “I think it’s fine. Maybe wear a black push-up bra under that instead of a boring white one this weekend.“
“A push-up-“ Navia’s jaw dropped in shock and she didn’t hesitate to come back over to hit her friend’s arm again. Hard. “Shut. Up. You ass!” Another hit made Arlecchino snort as she tried to move out of the way. Seeing her friend riled up that way cracked her up like no other.
“Okay, okay. Wear what you want.” She couldn’t help the next snicker from leaving her as she beheld that adorable pout. “Your tits are nice enough without a push-up bra anyway.“
“Arly, I swear I am going to shove this hanger so far up your- wait, since when do you say tits?” Clear blue eyes widened incredulously.
“Threatening me with a good time?” She smirked, making the other woman’s nose crinkle and she stepped back.
“Stop being weird!” Navia laughed and waved her taller friend off. As she made her way back to the dressing room, she muttered on about how ridiculous the ER comment had been too.
“Well, if your date doesn’t like your dress, I can personally see to it that they go to the ER for other reasons.” Arlecchino shrugged while standing up from the chair so she could stretch.
“And you wonder why I only let you meet certain people I date.” Navia laughed and then came back out with the dress in hand. “C’mon, grumpy. We got the dress, now we go for shoes and accessories!”
“Must we?” Arlecchino groaned, but didn’t resist when the shorter woman looped their arms together and tugged her away.
Why me? What did I do to deserve this torture?
“For the second time, friend. I’m good.” The woman did her best to not outright punch the idiot that just wouldn’t take the hint. Date said 7pm, right? She checked her phone once again to make sure she wasn’t actually the one late.
7:45pm.
Well, then. He definitely lost a couple points there.
She thought back to the skeptical looks her friends gave her when she mentioned she’d actually downloaded a dating app. They even sneered when they learned their friend accepted a date and offered to stay close by should she need a quick getaway if the date fell through.
The suggestion was appreciated, but Ying was certain they didn’t need to do that and even resisted telling them where the date would be.
Now she kind of wished she had.
“C’mon, I think you’d make a good little worker for me, baby.” The slime ball inched closer, making unpleasant chills run up and down the blonde’s body. Who knew that she’d be propositioned outside a somewhat fancy restaurant? By a guy that smelled of stale cigarettes and very cheap cologne. It was enough to make her eyes water a little if she breathed in too much at once.
“I’m waiting here for a date, moron.” Ying rolled her eyes and stepped away from him again. She wasn’t sure if she should be more annoyed at the creep or the people who paid them no mind and continued giving them a wide berth. No chivalry nowadays.
“Date huh? That’s what they all say, sweetheart.” He grinned, showing off his gold tooth.
“Okay, I’m walking away now.” Ying brushed by him. “Don’t follow me if you know what’s good for you.”
“Hey, don’t be like that.” The guy groaned to the sky and then lumbered after her, completely ignoring her warning.
Crap.
The end is so near!
“Thanks again for coming with me on such short notice, Arly!” Navia threw her arms (and bags) around her taller friend in a grateful hug. “I will personally deliver some homemade macarons to the house later as an apology for dragging you around!”
“Good.” Arlecchino nodded and lead the way to her friend’s car so she could open the back door for her. “The others will love that.”
“I half expected you to give me a bit more grief than that, Arly.” Electric blue eyes widened in disbelief.
“I got to see more of you today than I ever wanted to, so I’ll take that as punishment.” She deadpanned.
“ Punishment?! ” And then Navia wasted no time in whacking her friend with all her bags a few times, making her taller friend’s face break into a grin.
“Did I say punishment? I meant payment of course, dolcezza.” A short laugh followed.
“You are such an ass!” Navia huffed, but immediately deflated when Arlecchino helped her load her bags into her car with so much care you’d think she was handling the Queen’s garments.
“A polite ass, you mean.” She grinned and closed the door.
“More like a smartass.”
“Say ass again.”
“Stop being weird!” Navia shook her head. “I swear, if anyone knew you were this unbearable when you got comfortable around them-“ she then smirked at the taller woman who returned her smirk with an easy crooked grin. “You’d probably still have them on their knees, who am I kidding?”
“You flatter me, tesoro.” The dark eyed woman stepped back and didn’t hesitate to take Navia’s hand so she could place a kiss to her knuckles.
“Remember to stop by the picnic this weekend. Bring a date if you can.” She grinned mischievously and took her hand back so she could get into her car.
“Sure.” The taller woman nodded and watched her sunny friend give one last wave before pulling away from the curb.
She’s too bright for this world. Shaking her head with a small smile on her lips, Arlecchino then began to make her way back to her own ride. Seeing as Navia had texted her while she was out on an earlier errand, they opted to just meet up at the fancy plaza. Whoever ends up being her date better treat her like the-
“…kindly buzz off, sir!”
The sudden distressed voice cut through the dark eyed woman’s thoughts and she turned to see where it was coming from while pulling her leather gloves on. To her surprise, she witnessed another blonde woman who was two seconds away from smacking some sense into some poorly dressed fellow that was following after her. Or she probably would have been ready to punch him if she wasn’t dressed to the nines in a tight black dress with heels.
Arlecchino blinked, surprised it took a moment to maneuver her thoughts away from the dress and heels.
Those aside, it was easy to tell that the poor blonde had been trying to get away from him for the last few blocks at least.
“You should be thankful I’m even willing to look twice at you, blondie!” He wheezed and Arlecchino had to do her best to remain where she was when she saw him reach out to grab the shorter woman’s wrist. Truthfully, it wasn’t really her place to intervene.
Or was it?
“Get off of me!” The blonde yanked her arm down, easily freeing her wrist and then turned to continue trying to get away. When those bright eyes noticed a particular tall bystander watching them with sharp eyes, she immediately began walking again. This time with a purpose.
“Hey, wait-“ the guy still stumbled after her and something snapped within the two tone haired woman.
Arlecchino stepped forward without hesitation and met the blonde halfway, immediately wrapping her arms around the shorter woman who also partly crumbled into her. Before the guy caught up to harass her further, Arlecchino pulled back just the slightest so she could bring a gentle thumb up under the blonde’s chin. Without prompting, the unknown woman lifted her head and brought their lips together in a searing kiss.
It was a kiss unlike anything Arlecchino had had before.
She certainly kissed other women before. That was a given, but something about this unknown woman sparked immediate interest. When their lips touched, the blonde gasped, which only lead Arlecchino to instinctively deepen it since she’d happened to glance up in time to see the annoyed frown on the guy’s face. It prompted the tiniest of growls from the taller woman and when she felt the shorter woman’s arms come up to wrap around her shoulders with one hand coming to tangle in her hair in response, she’d all but forgotten about the guy.
The unknown woman tasted of raspberries, smelled of sunshine and felt as if she could easily hold her own in a fight. If the firm way she pressed herself into the taller woman was any indication. The action caused a response deep in Arlecchino’s core and she responded by digging her fingertips into lovely hips.
The blonde also kissed like a dream.
“Hi, darling.” Arlecchino husked after a moment and then brought her eyes away from the now practically panting woman to look behind her. “This creep bothering you?” She didn’t hold back the bite of annoyance in her voice and even tightened her hold a bit more around the shorter woman, missing the way her face turned just a shade darker at the action.
“He was just leaving, wasn’t he?” The blonde refused to step away and since she’d been so close, Arlecchino could feel the slight tremble in her arms. Whether it was rage, fear or something else was beyond the two tone haired woman.
“I-“ the guy began.
“I believe the lady kindly asked you to fuck off. Sir.” Arlecchino stated, effortlessly cutting the man’s words off. “Now, I suggest you do just that or I will happily take that stupid gold tooth of yours as a souvenir.” She growled in a voice that made any nosy onlookers all but scatter.
The guy immediately turned around and wasted no time in running away with his tail between his legs too.
Ying was stunned to silence. For one: that was a very risky move! Never in her life did she ever consider running up to a random person, a stranger, no less! And kissing them! Even though it was sometimes a tradition at her friends’ New Year’s parties to kiss the first person you saw at midnight, or if they played dumb games like spin the bottle, she didn’t participate when kisses were involved.
Tonight was different though.
Ying was pissed. She was mad that her date stood her up. She was angry that Mona and Keqing had been right about how sketchy the date itself and app seemed. She was seething because the creep followed her for three whole blocks and she was a little disappointed in herself that she ended up turning to someone else for help.
Someone who kissed like sin, no less.
“Vaffanculo!” The woman seethed through her teeth at the retreating man who clumsily passed by a few more people walking down the street and then finally disappeared.
Ying was pretty sure that if she hadn’t been wrapped in the unknown woman’s arms, she would have gone after that bastard to make good on her earlier words. Luckily for that idiot, the most she could actually do was continue muttering to herself in what sounded like Italian for a moment more. That’s kinda hot actually…
Ying also may have been a bit horny.
“Are you okay, cara? ” The woman then asked, bringing Ying out of her mostly unhelpful thoughts.
“No.” She said first. “Yes. I don’t know, actually.” Suddenly her fear and uncertainty turned to rage, but all she could do was grip the front of the leather jacket in her hands. “Look, I don’t know if you’re here with someone, waiting on someone or whatever else with someone, but I’ve just had the shittiest night and—“
“You wanna get out of here?” The woman didn’t hesitate to ask once they made eye contact again.
Ying sighed heavily. “Please. Anywhere but here.” gods, just take me.
She kept that thought to herself.
She’s in a very tight dress. She shouldn’t be riding on a motorcycle like this.
But, gods be damned if having those arms securely wrapped around her waist and that lithe body pressed against her back wasn’t making driving difficult. She did her best to keep the low growl of appreciation in. Easy, now. Don’t crash or you’ll never know her name.
Arlecchino instantly pulled over when she felt a tap on her shoulder, thankfully also cutting her train of thought off. The two stopped at a flower shop that had been very familiar to the taller woman, but her focus went right back to her passenger as she helped her slide off the bike. This dress will be the end of me.
“This should be far enough away. Thanks again for saving me back there.” The blonde giggled sheepishly.
I could do more…
“Can I ask what exactly you were doing earlier?” Arlecchino kept that last thought to herself and took her borrowed helmet back, casually leaning against her motor bike after.
“I was waiting on a date.” The shorter woman shrugged. “But the date was a no-show and I was propositioned to work for that other idiot instead.”
“A date huh.” Dark eyes fell from the blonde’s pretty blue eyes to that damned dress, to her heels and then back up. “Can you wait here for just a moment?” It took all she had to not outright ogle the blonde and she even turned to focus on her phone as she began texting a certain number thanks to an idea she’d just had.
“Sure.” She chuckled again and then brought her hand up to push it through her thick blonde locks.
“Fa-“ Amber colored eyes widened at the sight before him and he immediately changed his tune. “Y-your car, madam.” He put on his best accent and waltzed up to the taller woman to hand her the keys in the best way he knew how.
Father only stared at him in confusion for a moment until he pointedly glanced at the shorter woman and then back. Dark eyes followed to the blonde and then back in even more confusion. Oh Father… the young man did his best to not facepalm right then.
“M-madam? Car?” the blonde tilted her head. “Are you rich or something?”
“This is Lyney.” Arlecchino stated. “He’s a child of mine.”
The blonde’s jaw dropped and Lyney did facepalm that time. “Smooth, Father.” He chuckled.
“What? You are my child.” The woman shrugged. “I’m Arlecchino, by the way.”
Lyney couldn’t help but bark out a laugh. Leave it to Father to forget to even mention her name to a pretty lady!
“Oh!” The blonde laughed. “I’m Ying! I’m so sorry, I didn’t even tell you my name!” She cleared her throat and then straightened up. “Hello, Lyney. Arlecchino. It’s,” she awkwardly brought her hand up to rub the side of her neck. “It’s nice to meet the both of you.”
Lyney didn’t miss the way Father’s eyes immediately snapped to the woman’s dainty fingers as they rubbed at her slender neck.
He also didn’t miss the way she kept glancing at Father.
Goodness me, they’re both hopeless it seems. I may have to tell Lynette and Freminet about this so we can place bets. “Well, Ying.” He cleared the random thought and offered his hand, which the blonde took. “Nice to meet you.” He then turned to Arlecchino. “Father. I will take your bike back as you said and we will see you later.”
“Navia mentioned she’d come by with treats for everyone. Be sure to thank her on my behalf.” Arlecchino nodded and then glanced at the other woman who retuned a small smile.
“I take it your helping her pick out a new dress was a success then?” Lyney had been surprised when he’d received the earlier text Father sent when she hadn’t come back right after her errand.
He knew Father absolutely abhorred shopping.
“I fortunately still have my life, so I think so.” She actually chuckled a bit at that, which made Lyney laugh.
“That’s good!” He nodded and then without thinking, allowed a rose to appear in the palm of his hand thanks to a magic trick he’d memorized long ago. “For the lady. May you both enjoy your evening.” He presented it to a surprised Ying who huffed out a laugh.
“Aww thank you!” She grinned at him and then Father. “That was quite smooth.” She giggled.
“Learned from the best.” Lyney gestured to the taller woman who raised a brow.
“The smoothness , not the magic, Father.” He clarified, making the woman also let out a short laugh.
“Of course, Lyney.” She cleared her throat and then relaxed a little more once she took the rose from Ying so she could carefully place it in her hair. When all the blonde did was smile up at her in the brightest way possible, Lyney figured he still had a long way to go if he actually wanted to be smooth like Father with the women.
For crying out loud, Father was only supposed to help Navia today and now she’s about to treat this new lady out!
“Bye Lyney!”
As the boy donned the helmet and drove off after waving, Ying turned her attention back to the woman who was also watching him drive off. The slight concern in her eyes made the shorter woman inwardly smile. Whether it was because she was concerned about her child’s safety or the fact that her sexy bike was being driven by a teen was besides the point.
Father, huh?
“May I ask what that was all about?“ Ying did her best to tear her thoughts away from the dangerously inappropriate path it had already been going down since the ride here. god. Even through her jacket, I could feel how fit she is. It made her hands just a bit clammy. Just a bit restless.
Arlecchino leaned against the side of the sleek black car and slowly looked over her once again. “You’re dressed way too nice to be left walking home on the sidewalk. Or taking a bus or taxi.” Dark eyes met hers and if Ying hadn’t been so sure on her feet, she might have been knocked off of them. “Please allow me to at least treat you to a proper dinner first.” A pause and then that husky low voice continued. “Or I can take you straight home if you want.”
Damn…
Ying felt her shoulders loosen just the tiniest bit. “I…” she bit her lip and when the woman only tilted her head in waiting, she breathed out. Why does she have to be so hot? “Look, I know I’m dressed the part for a fancy dinner at a fancy restaurant and I’m supposed to be polite and feminine and we just met, but-“ she huffed out a laugh. “I’m really in the mood for pizza or something. I need a drink.” And maybe something else…
Arlecchino blinked once. Twice. And then grinned while offering her arm for the blonde to take. “Come on, then. I know a place.”