Work Text:
Just like that, Qiu's ballet performance ended.
It was the hardest Roxy's seen them prepare for something. For the first time in 8 years, it was the first time Qiu auditioned for the main role in their recital. They went out to a large amusement park to celebrate when Roxanne first heard the news of Qiu getting the role. She was never interested in ballet, but she always made sure to support them. After all, Qiu's happiness meant a lot to their lover.
Roxanne silently cheered for them, smiling every time Qiu made eye contact with her or the audience. She recorded every single moment, and now, Roxy's going to meet them behind the curtains; it felt like she was given a backstage pass for an artist after their concert.
And it really did feel that way, multiple Golden Grove residents were circling around them. Autumn looked overwhelmed, but still attempted to answer all the questions being shot at them and accept all the compliments they were given. The bouquet of flowers got heavier in Roxy's hands; she was tense, unsure on how to approach them.
"Qiu." Roxanne calls them, walking over to them with the flowers. They smile at her, but she doesn't show any kind of expression; Qiu knew that face meant business. In a protective manner, Roxy stands in front of them, causing all their supporters and fans to stop talking.
"We're still talking to them." A girl she wasn't familiar with retorted after Roxanne's defensive gesture. Even if Roxy resided there for eight years, she didn't know every single person in town. The other group of people nodded in agreement at the girl's words.
"I'm fine, Rox." They smile reassuringly, but she doesn't buy it at all. She wraps her arm around them possessively, pulling them in closer.
Roxy hands them the bouquet filled with golden flowers, her choice of flora reflected Qiu's favorite color. "This is for you, darling." She winks, "You've worked so hard."
Qiu blushes at the grand gesture, even the group of townsfolk were speechless. They reach out for the bouquet, protecting it in their arms. "Thank you, Roxy." They mutter, looking into her eyes as she grins widely.
However, her smile fades when she looks at the group of people. "You can all converse with them next time, Qiu is exhausted." Roxanne states, before hooking her arm around their waist and dragging them over like a bodyguard protecting their artist. Qiu chuckles sheepishly, unsure how Roxy could see through them, even if they're trying so hard not to worry others. They leave the venue with only a bit of trouble because of the crowd, and Autumn clears their throat.
"You're jealous, aren't you?" Qiu smirks, and Roxanne loudly groans; it was a call for help. She looks into their eyes, looking absolutely done with them. However, her actions contradict her expression as she grabs their bag and carries it for them.
"Absolutely. It's so fucking obvious." She huffs, nudging Qiu on their shoulder using her elbow. "But it's my fault, I chose to date someone popular."
"Come on, Rox. The folks love you too." They grin, and Roxanne raises her eyebrow. "What do you mean?" She asks, giving them a puzzled expression.
"It's nothing." Qiu chuckles, and Roxy looks at them as if they were the only person in the world. She swore that the whole galaxy was in Qiu's eyes, and that they were the light that burned brightly to drown out the darkness in her life; Roxanne was like a moth to the flame, her gaze clinging onto Qiu's face for dear life. A comfortable silence passed between the two as Qiu walked forward and Roxanne kept their eyes on them.
After a bit, Qiu notices Roxanne's silence and her intense stare. "Is there something on my face?" They ask, giggling quietly.
"Yeah, a lot of beauty." She smirks widely, and Qiu rolls their eyes; Roxy holds back a laugh at their reaction. "But in all seriousness, thank you. You've been working so hard."
Roxanne reaches out to stroke the top of their head, and Qiu chuckles at the silly gesture; they can't help but lean into her touch. "Aw, I wouldn't have done it without you though. You've given me the strength to keep trying and working." They beam, the grin on their face widening.
"You don't need to carry my bag, but I do appreciate that you're lifting the weight off my shoulders. Thank you, Choco." Qiu's heart flutters, and Roxy's stomach does a flip at the old nickname. It stuck with her ever since that talk four years ago, right after their first kisses. "Not a problem at all."
"Let's go home, Toffee. I have a lot prepared for you." Roxanne smirks, and they feel their heart melt. "You really didn't need to, Rox. Just having you by my side is already enough." Qiu laughs heartily and Roxy points over to her motorcycle in the distance.
"I forgot I parked here. All the nearby parking slots were taken! You really are popular, damn it." She huffs, and they laugh even harder at her reaction. Roxy doesn't say anything, refusing to give them any ammunition for their teasing.
"Here." Roxanne hands them the helmet, and Qiu puts it on. She does the same, before boarding the motorcycle. Qiu sits at the back but faces sideways, wrapping their left arm around her, and the other on the bouquet, holding both things in their hands tightly.
"Let's go." Roxy says, speeding off into the distance. Qiu leans their head on her back, their cheek directly pressing against the leather of her jacket as the two seemingly elope.
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Finally, the two reach the cul-de-sac as Roxanne parks her motorcycle near her house. She lets Qiu get off the vehicle before she does, taking off their helmet and locking it on the seat due to Qiu's arms being occupied by the bouquet she gave. Roxy attempts to take off her helmet, before Qiu stops her.
"Keep it on for a bit." They tell her. Normally, Roxanne would protest and scold them for their tone; today was different, Qiu's big day ended in a success. She didn't want to ruin their momentum.
And she thanks the heavens for not taking the helmet off, as Qiu uses the reflection of Roxy's face shield to adjust their messy hair. They were truly a sight for sore eyes. Roxanne spaces out for a bit, her eyes practically superglued to her lover. Qiu was always beautiful, but there was something about them wearing their usual jacket above their ballet attire that really made them stand out twice as much. Was it the afterglow of the performance? Either way, Roxy had to say something about it, especially with her straightforward nature.
"You're beautiful, Qiu." She praises them, and their cheeks heat up. They would normally be used to her compliments, but the timing was what made them blush brightly. Qiu hits her arm playfully and pouts, feeling defenseless.
"Come on, Roxanne! You can't just say stuff like that." Qiu huffs, and Roxy smirks under her helmet as she removes it. She shakes her head in an attempt to fix her hair, before brushing it back with her fingers. Qiu just stares in awe, speechless for a while. They mirror Roxy's starstruck expression when Qiu was using the reflection of her face shield when they were adjusting their hair, further confirming the mutual sentiment that the two lovers admired each other in many ways.
"Is there something wrong?" She asks, raising an eyebrow playfully, the smirk still on her face. Roxy knew Qiu was staring, she just wanted them to admit it.
"Nope, you're just really attractive." Qiu states, and Roxanne blushes, soft giggles escaping her lips. "That's why we're compatible, we're both good looking." She affirms, and Qiu mirrors her dorky smirk.
"Let's head in now, alright?" Roxanne says, offering Qiu her hand. They take it with no hesitation as they walk into her house, Roxanne opening the door like she always does for Qiu; she places the bouquet on a spacious table so that they could place the flowers in a vase when they get home.
Qiu takes off their jacket, and hangs it on the coat rack beside the entrance as Roxy signals for them to come over, moving her index and middle finger back and forth twice.
"Well, I said I had a surprise, right?" She beams, holding a vinyl record and placing the phonograph on the record player. Suddenly, all the candles and the dark room makes a lot more sense now. "This is part of the surprise at least."
Yet again, she offers her hand as jazz and bossa nova fills the room. It was perfect for a dance, and her next words were already expected by Qiu.
"May I have a dance with the star of tonight's show?"
Roxy grins smugly, Qiu wasn't surprised at all. They were used to her chivalry, it was one of the reasons why Qiu developed a crush on her in the first place. Feelings of warmth, happiness, and affection were in the air; They looked at her with adoration and gratefulness, the first half of the surprise already making them giddy. Without hesitation, Qiu grabs her hand and leads the dance; Roxanne was far from a dancer either way.
"Thank you again, Choco." They smile thankfully and sincerely, and she swore that she melted at the sight of Qiu's eye smile.
"No, thank you, Toffee, for doing your best."
And just like that, the two lovers freestyled to the rhythm of the night. With Qiu still in their ballet attire, it felt like an actual dance; although, it was different from their performance in the recital where every step needed to be perfect and exact. The romantic dance was completely improvised, giving both of them room to breathe. Even if they were lost in each others' eyes, their steps remained perfectly in sync and their energy matched one another's.
They were truly soulmates.
Qiu and Roxy danced in the living room, spinning each other around with a few giggles in between. It was only the warm lighting of the candles that made them able to see one another; the music drowned out all their worries, fully letting the couple bask in each other's scent.
It went on like this for a while, everything was tranquil.
Before the song ended, Roxy felt the need to dip Qiu, recalling back to that moment eight years ago when they almost fell and Roxanne caught them just in time.
"Mind if I steal a kiss?" She smirks, looking at her lover's lips, and Autumn chuckles. "Alright, Roxanne. It's on brand anyways, you're a burglar after all." Qiu grins, blushing at their proximity before Roxy tilts their head and presses her lips against theirs. Both of them close their eyes blissfully, before she breaks the kiss, realizing the other trick she has up her sleeve.
Roxy gently pulls Qiu up, both their eyes opening at the same time as they meet each other's gaze. The record stopped at the exact same time as their dance ended.
"I have one more thing for you, Toffee." Roxanne says casually, urging Qiu to sit on the couch. She quickly goes upstairs, opening her drawer to find a plain CD before rushing downstairs to meet them.
"What's that?" Qiu raises their eyebrow in curiosity.
"You'll see." She beams as she turns on the television, taking the CD carefully out of its case before putting it in the external DVD player. "This is why I took all of your videos during your rehearsals, I wanted to show you just how hard you're working."
Roxy compiled all of Qiu's clips into one video, adding soft music in the background. Quickly, she rushes over to the dining table where Qiu placed the bouquet of flowers. She reaches carefully to grab an envelope before sitting beside them again.
There it was, the video was playing.
Taking a deep breath, Roxanne opens the envelope, unfolding the piece of paper inside.
"Qiu, can you look at the video while listening to me?" She raises an eyebrow, expressing her concern. Qiu thinks for a bit, before nodding with a grin on their face, making eye contact with their lover for a while before looking again at the television.
With a sigh, Roxy starts reading the note while trying to drown out the worries in her head. Autumn and her have known each other for a long time, why does she feel so nervous? Is it because she's still struggling to express her emotions?
"Dear Qiu, I wrote this note on the night before your performance."
She clears her throat, feeling incredibly awkward. Roxanne brought this upon herself anyways, but if it's to show her appreciation for Qiu, she'd do anything.
"I just wanted to say how proud I am of you. For every time you've been knocked down, I was there, ready to lend a helping hand. These past few years haven't been easy on you, which is why I've stuck with you, and will continue to do so."
"When we first met during the Autumn of 2010, I already knew you were a star. You shined so brightly that it was blinding for others; but to me, that light was the one thing that helped me escape from the darkness."
"However, you were the only person that never realized how great you were. You'd always put others above yourself, and it pained me. From then on, I promised to myself that I'd speak up for you and protect you no matter what."
"A few years after, in 2014, you were finally able to put yourself first but at the expense of your time of uncertainty. You used it against yourself, loathed the fact that you didn't know everything. I get that, it made you feel like a failure back then."
"But to my eyes, you never failed me or anybody else. You were tired, and you deserved a break. I'm glad that you were find solace in me like I did in you."
"Ever since I was betrayed by my circle of friends back then, you gave me a shoulder to lean on. That further solidified my promise to protect and cherish you, now and forever."
"Now, the Qiu I'm currently seeing is the brightest version of you. Our first encounter, your period of withdrawal, and now you're slowly breaking out of your shell. You're like a butterfly that underwent metamorphosis."
"Tomorrow," She coughs, "Well, more like today... when I see you on the stage, I won't blink. I won't close my eyes for even a moment because you've landed the lead role in your recital as an adult."
"You were not the only person waiting for this moment—I was waiting too—waiting for the time I'd see you smiling brightly on stage again."
"And once I do, I'll make sure to savor every minute of it."
Roxanne clears her throat (again) before putting the letter down. "This is not part of the letter anymore, but..."
"Since I've finally seen you on stage, I'd just like to say that it was beautiful. My heart practically melted. If you were the sun, I'd stare and continue to do so until I couldn't see anymore."
"I've always said that I'll be here for you and that I'll protect you. Now, let me thank you for doing the same for me."
"Thank you for giving me a reason to keep living every day, thank you for loving me."
Her voice wavers as she says this, Roxy is practically fighting tears away. Mustering up the courage, she does everything she can to finish her words.
"Qiu, you're my best friend. You're my first and last love."
"You're my everything."
As the video finally ends, Qiu turns to face her tearfully. Roxanne's eyes widen, tears falling out as well before hugging them tightly from the side.
"Oh god... Roxy, that was a lot of words." They chuckle through sobs, both of their hands holding Roxy's which are gripping them. "Thank you so much..."
The two lovers continue to weep as they both chuckle, basking in each other's warmth. Roxy sits up slightly to place a kiss on their forehead, with Qiu reciprocating by placing a kiss on her cheek.
"Rox, I love you so much." They say sincerely, looking into her eyes as they slowly come down.
The world stopped for a while as they locked gazes, nothing else existed, it was just both of them. Every single moment of triumph, desolation, and agony has lead up to this: a beautiful connection between two soulmates. Neither Qiu nor Roxanne would trade this for anything else in the world.
Roxy beams at their words, and Qiu offers a smile of their own as she replies,
"I love you too, Qiu."
Slowly, the two move forward as Roxanne tilts her head, pressing their lips together. She holds their waist tightly, stroking their back as if to comfort them. Qiu wraps their arms around her shoulders, deepening the gentle kiss as more tears fall out of both their eyes.
They forget about everything else for a while, only thinking about the love they have for each other.
Eventually, Roxy pulls away and gives Qiu a broken but earnest smile. She wipes away the tears from their eyes, and they giggle as Qiu reaches out to do the same for their lover. Feeling grateful at Roxanne's gestures, Qiu suddenly moves closer to press an unexpected peck on her lips, eliciting a hearty giggle from Roxy's lips.
"Come on, Qiu. You really caught me off guard there." Roxanne smirks, her cheeks reddening like Qiu's.
"That's my way of thanking you." Qiu smirks back, poking her shoulder and they smile wider as they look into each other's eyes again.
"I should always be doing this then." She replies back smugly, "But this is a thank you as well... the dance, the video. Thank you for always working so hard."
More tears fall out of Qiu's eyes as they reach out to hug her; Roxy wraps her arms around them tightly in return, one hand patting their back and the other stroking their hair.
After a while, Qiu hesitantly pulls away before they both face forward like earlier. They lay their head on Roxanne's shoulder, and she wraps her arm around them in an attempt to pull them closer.
"Let's stay like this for a while, Toffee." She says sleepily, closing her eyes and pressing her cheek on the top of Qiu's head.
"I wouldn't mind staying like this forever if it's with you, Choco."
Art by Drei Rein on Facebook!