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“Aw c’mon, Laena was great!”
“One,” Rhaenyra deadpans, “you managed to land me one good date out of four. And she was your sister.”
“Is that why you’re not still together?” Laenor huffs, stealing a fry off her plate.
They’re sitting at her dining room table, remnants of takeout strewn across the top.
“What? No, idiot, why would that matter?” Rhaenyra rolls her eyes, “She’s going to med school at Harvard next month, you know that.”
“Long distance exists.”
“Not for me,” Rhaenyra shakes her head, “I’m an attention whore.”
Laenor chuckles, checking her shoulder with his and grinning at her, “Hey, you said it.”
Rhaenyra laughs.
“It’s just not my thing,” She circles back, “long distance.”
“No, yeah,” Laenor shrugs, “I get that. What about Harwin? He didn’t totally suck, right?”
It’s her turn to shrug.
“Yeah, I guess,” She says, “I just don’t see myself with him in ten years, I don’t know. I asked, and he wants marriage, kids, picket fence, all of that, and I dunno. It’s not like I don’t want all of that. It’s just that he was talking and I knew I didn’t want that with him.”
“Ouch.”
“No, not in a mean way!” Rhaenyra huffs, swatting Laenor’s arm, “He and I are friends now. He has a girlfriend, Elinda. I can’t explain why, but it just felt better this way.”
“Do you think you’re a lesbian?”
“Nah,” Rhaenyra shrugs, “I’ve had casual sex, man, I’m not celibate just because I can’t find a partner. I’m definitely bisexual.”
“Fair enough,” Laenor says, “I only ask because you know that was me-“
“Yeah, I remember your face when I took-“
“Don’t.”
“Look how far we’ve come,” Rhaenyra grins, “You’re sleeping your way through Manhattan’s elite bachelors-“
“I literally hate you so much.”
“Wait I was going to make fun of me too,” She rolls her eyes, “I was saying, and I’m going on a self-imposed dating ban after experiencing Manhattan’s craziest.”
“Criston was really bad. I’ll give you that.”
“I can’t believe he told me he thought I should quit my job and move in with him,” Rhaenyra scoffs, “I make more than him!”
Laenor laughs, doubling over, “Oh my god, I forgot about that. He was so crazy, I’m so sorry. He seemed normal!”
“I guess in all fairness, Alicent wasn’t the problem,” Rhaenyra sighs, “it was her crazy, homophobic father.”
“I still can’t believe he chased you with an axe,” Laenor snorts.
“It’s not funny.”
“Not in the moment, I’m sure,” Laenor says, “but c’mon. That’s some cartoon shit right there.”
Rhaenyra rolls her eyes, but there’s a smile on her lips.
“You have that ring footage saved, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
It’s past eleven when she finally kicks Laenor out, promising to call in the morning so they can arrange a trip to the farmer’s market for…something organic, honestly, she stopped paying attention.
She finishes loading the dishes into the dishwasher, checks her work email, and then goes to lock the deadbolt on her apartment door.
A loud crash comes from the other side, the sound of boxes falling, and she hears a woman’s voice utter an impressive amount of curse words.
She opens the door and is immediately struck by the sight of the most stunning woman she has ever seen in her life. She barely catches her jaw from literally dropping.
This woman is in sweatpants. Looking like that.
Rhaenyra’s in awe.
“Sorry,” The beautiful woman winces, “I didn’t mean to be loud, I didn’t wake you up, did I?”
“No,” Rhaenyra shakes her head, “my friend just left, actually-“
“Oh, Laenor?”
“Yeah, how did you-“
“He saw me struggling in the parking lot,” The woman laughs, “helped me get the boxes up here. Good guy.”
Rhaenyra grins, “Yeah, he is. Need help getting them in?”
“Would you? God, yes, it’s my lucky day. These boxes suck. I’m not weak, I swear, they just keep breaking. I’m Mysaria, by the way.”
“That’s a cool name,” She smiles, “I’m Rhaenyra.”
“Rhaenyra,” Mysaria says softly, “how pretty.”
Fuck. She is so screwed.
She helps Mysaria get her things inside with no further incident, making small talk and enjoying the fact that Mysaria laughs at her dumb jokes.
“Well, thank you,” Mysaria says as she walks Rhaenyra back to her door, “The neighborly experience here has been top-notch thus far, I’d say.”
“Just wait until you meet Grinch,” Rhaenyra sighs, “He lives two floors down and terrorizes us all. His real name is Vaemond.”
Mysaria laughs, “Good to know.”
“You were right, by the way,” She grins, “those boxes suck.”
“I know, right?!” Mysaria’s voice gets angry all over again, and Rhaenyra laughs, already fond of this woman and her vendetta. She’s already across the threshold of the door, and she knows she’s lingering.
“I should go to bed, but um, it was nice meeting you,” Rhaenyra says, somewhat awkwardly, “glad to have a new friend for a neighbor.”
“Me too!” Mysaria nods, smiling at her, “Goodnight, Rhaenyra.”
“Goodnight,” She says softly.
She just barely makes it to her door when Mysaria calls out, “Hey, Rhaenyra?”
“Yeah?” She turns back around.
“Have dinner with me on Sunday?”
“Like…out?”
“No,” Mysaria shakes her head, “I’ll cook.”
Holy fuck holy fuck holy fuck.
“Is this…like a date?”
Mysaria smiles, cheeks flushed.
“Yeah,” She replies fondly, “it’s like a date.”
“Okay,” She breathes, realizing she needs to say something but feeling a little bit delirious.
Mysaria feels out of her league, and not because Rhaenyra is insecure about the way she looks, or her income, or anything except her father’s approval, but that’s a whole different story. It’s just that Mysaria seems so steady.
Rhaenyra is fire and blood, her father told her so. She’s never been still, she’s never been obedient, and she’s always been willing to fight for what she wants.
Mysaria has somehow managed to be all of that, but contained in a calculated way that Rhaenyra hopes she can teach her how she pulls off. She has a suspicion that the box makers will be updating their standards in the near future.
“Okay,” Mysaria replies, “six o’clock?”
“Yeah,” Rhaenyra nods, “that’s perfect.”
“Anything you’re allergic to? Or hate?”
“Mushrooms,” She replies immediately, “fuck mushrooms.”
“Alright, no mushrooms,” Mysaria laughs, shaking her head, “goodnight for real.”
Rhaenyra steals one more glance at her before she closes her apartment door.
It’s Sunday. 5:30.
Rhaenyra’s got Laenor on FaceTime, her hair pulled up into a messy bun for her to worry about later, and about ten different outfits on the bed.
“Rhaenyra, seriously, you’re being insane,” Laenor huffs, “just pick one!”
“You saw her, Laenor, c’mon,” Rhaenyra whines, “And she’s funny, and kind, and strong, I really like her.”
“Awe,” Laenor coos, “how sweet. My girl is in love.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Rhaenyra groans, “just tell me what would say I think you are the love of my life and we should be together, but subtly.”
“I need to warn her that you are literally insane.”
“She asked me out.”
“Wear the black jeans and the red cropped vest,” Laenor sighs, “it’ll be cute.”
“Okay, I like that,” Rhaenyra nods, “good job.”
She knocks on Mysaria’s door at exactly six pm, roses that she acquired from the florist down the block in one hand, and a bottle of wine in the other.
Mysaria opens the door, cheeks flushing in a way that gives Rhaenyra butterflies when she sees what she’s holding.
Rhaenyra’s cheeks flush for an entirely different reason. Mysaria looks so pretty. She’s got on light blue jeans and a gorgeous white top that ties together in the front. Her hair is down, unlike Rhaenyra’s, and it’s slightly messy in a way that only makes her more attractive.
“Hey,” She says softly.
“Hey,” Mysaria replies, gesturing, “you didn’t have to-“
Rhaenyra shakes her head, “I’m a gentleman, thank you. I’d never show up to a date empty-handed.”
Mysaria’s nose scrunches as she laughs, and Rhaenyra feels those damn butterflies stir again.
“Come on in,” Mysaria murmurs, “you know the way to the dining room.”
She does, and she goes straight to it while Mysaria stops to get a vase. Her eyes widen as she sees the table.
“Holy shit, Mysaria, this looks incredible,” She says, awe in her voice.
“I’m a chef,” Mysaria grins, “surprise.”
Her jaw does actually drop this time.
“Wow,” She says excitedly, “where?”
“Dragonstone.”
“No way!” Rhaenyra exclaims, “That’s my uncle’s place.”
“What?! Oh my god, Daemon’s your uncle?!” Mysaria groans, “That man is a pain in my ass.”
Rhaenyra bursts out laughing.
“Yup,” She replies, “that’s him.”
“Well, good to know he does it to everyone,” Mysaria snorts, “an equal opportunity asshole. Ugh, enough about him, let’s sit.”
“What’s all this?” Rhaenyra asks, looking over the plates as she sits down.
“Caesar salad, garlic green beans, chicken parmesan, gnocchi,” Mysaria shrugs, “I wanted to keep it simple.”
“Last night I ate Top Ramen,” Rhaenyra laughs, “and the night before that I had a turkey sandwich.”
Mysaria looks appalled, and it only makes her laugh harder.
"Rhaenyra,” Mysaria huffs, “Top Ramen is not a meal.”
“It is if you put an egg in it.”
“Something tells me you don’t always make the egg.”
Rhaenyra opens her mouth, but she can’t exactly refute that, so she closes it again. Mysaria is the one to laugh this time.
Hours go by without Rhaenyra realizing it.
They’ve talked the whole time, she’d be surprised they managed to finish their meals, except Mysaria is a really good cook and the meal is delicious. She’s not wasting that.
Eventually, they move to Mysaria’s couch, Rhaenyra propped up on her elbow with a fond smile on her lips as she listens to Mysaria talk about a show she thinks is terrible.
“It’s just not accurate at all,” Mysaria sighs, “and misogynistic. Why would the married female boss risk her career by sleeping with the younger chef? Stupid.”
“Hey, Mysaria?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m gonna kiss you now.”
“Okay,” Mysaria replies, and so Rhaenyra does.
Mysaria’s hands come up to rest against the back of her neck, and Rhaenyra pulls her closer while her thumbs caress her cheeks.
Mysaria’s lips taste like wine and tomato sauce, or rather they both do, but Rhaenyra couldn’t care less.
Time seems to freeze around them, but eventually the need for air forces them to pull apart. Rhaenyra’s thumb wipes away where the chapstick that Mysaria had reapplied after dinner has smudged beneath her lips.
“I want to ask you to stay,” Mysaria sighs, “but I know you have work early in the morning.”
“Yeah,” Rhaenyra pouts, “I don’t want to go, but I should.”
“I had fun,” Mysaria murmurs, leaning in and stealing another kiss, “did you?”
“How about a second date tomorrow night?”
Mysaria grins.
“Alright,” She smiles, “what are we doing?”
“I’ll take you to my favorite local place,” Rhaenyra smiles, “no bullshit, no city gimmick food-“
“Good, because-“
“It does nothing but increase food waste, yeah,” She laughs when Mysaria crosses her arms and nods firmly.
It’s past midnight by the time they exchange numbers, solidify plans for date number two, and stop making out on the couch, and Rhaenyra knows she’ll regret it tomorrow in the office, but she doesn’t care about that either.
Mysaria’s waving at her from across the hall, and all she can think about is kissing her.
The door closes, and she’s still thinking about kissing her.
She changes into her pajamas, brushes her teeth and washes her face, and then climbs into bed, all while still thinking of Mysaria.
Suddenly, she remembers that she had sworn she was going to stop dating.
She snorts.
Well, maybe this is the last person she’ll have to. She has a sneaking suspicion Mysaria might be the one.
She should write a thank-you letter to that box company.