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Beau was over the moon right now! Not literally, but still! She was able to find the legendary Secret Sword, she had defeated the villainous Isolde Chest, and most importantly, Rongomaiwhenua had been found! This calls for a celebration between her, Jake the Houseologist, Jacques—who turned out to not only to be an excellent swordfighter but also a decent guy—and Gaia, an individual almost as well traveled and storied as Beau herself. All four of them made an excellent team. And it’s a good thing Jake knew Beverly very well, because they were able to get drinks at the Tipsy Tumbler on the house!
Beau was currently drinking a Ramos Gin Fizz at the bar while Jake and Jacques were drunkenly singing karaoke. She then turned to Gaia, sitting further down the bar with an Irish Whiskey. Smiling, Beau scooted closer to the round woman. “Hey, just wanted to say I’m glad I found ya.”
“Oh, it ain’t nuttin’,” Gaia giggled. “I mean, you asked for anyone who knows a thing or two about travel, and well, there I was. The crawlspace, though, that’s a new place I hadn’t visited yet.”
“Well, you certainly kept that secret well,” Beau chuckled, taking a sip of her drink. “It’s funny, I thought I’d run into you on some mountain peak or deep in a forbidden jungle, not looking out the window in the den.”
Gaia took a slow, appreciative sip of her whiskey, her eyes twinkling. “A true traveler learns that the most valuable information is often hidden in the most mundane of places. Besides, the jungle is overrated this time of year.” She nudged Beau playfully. “Speaking of secrets, that Isolde fellow wasn’t exactly thrilled you found the sword first, was she?”
“Technically, neither of us did…” Beau lamented, gaze going back to the pirate at the karaoke machine. “But so long as she didn’t have it, it’s a win for us.”
“And we found Rongomaiwhenua and brought her home. I shudder to think at what Isolde would’ve done with her…”
“Well now we don’t have to,” Beau laughed. “But now… I kinda wanna learn more about you.”
“O-Oh?!” Gaia gasped. Crud… Hopefully Beau wasn’t on her tail. Hopefully Beau hadn’t guessed that Gaia… wasn’t exactly the most well traveled. Or that all of her worldly knowledge came from other objects in the house.
“Yeah. I mean, tell me about the places you’ve been,” Beau requested.
Gaia took another large sip of whiskey, stalling for time. “Oh, uh, well… I’ve been to… the Mediterranean. Beautiful this time of year. Though I wasn’t exactly on the beach, mind you.” She shifted uncomfortably on the bar stool, trying to think of an impressive-sounding location that she had definitely seen. “And then there was that time in… the attic! Quite high up, you know.”
“Oh yeah, I think I’ve seen you up there for a time,” Beau hiccuped. “But tell me about the Mediterranean. What countries along it have you been to?”
Okay… Gaia had to go back to what she learned… Mediterranean… SPAIN!
“I’ve been to Spain. G-Gibraltar, specifically, far out West of the sea,” Gaia answered. “Only has a population of 32,000 people. They have a key on their flag too.”
“Interesting, so what was Gibraltar like? Any food you enjoyed? What about the people? Meet anybody cute?” Oh crud…! Gaia can’t fudge her way out of this! Come on, Gaia! Think!
“Well… umm…” she began, trying to find the right words to piece her answer together. “The peninsula was wicked big. Like, massive, eh? And the people… well, they’re not too much different from folks ‘round here, once you get past all the Spanish lingo. You know, friendly enough, but keepin’ mostly to themselves. No, I didn't meet anyone cute, worse luck. Just a lot of tourons lookin’ up at the monkeys.” She gave Beau a quick, nervous smile, hoping she didn’t just give away her desperation. Wait, does Gibraltar even have monkeys?!
Beau raised an eyebrow, a slow, amused smile spreading across her face. “Monkeys, huh? You mean the Barbary Macaques? Didn’t realize the famous Britain in the Sun was that big a destination for monkey-watching. I always thought they were more famous for the Rock.” She leaned in conspiratorially, her voice dropping slightly. “And tourons? That’s a new one. Sounds like someone’s been studying a local slang dictionary instead of actually enjoying the sights.”
Gaia’s stomach did a painful flip. Crap. Crap, crap, crap! Beau was observant, almost painfully so. She forced a hearty, though slightly high-pitched, laugh. “Oh, that! Nah, just picked it up from a book I was reading while I was waiting for the ferry. You know how it is, sometimes the travel guides give you more of the flavor than the actual trip does.” She took another large gulp of her Irish whiskey, trying to ignore the heat rising in her cheeks. The smooth liquor only minimally calmed the frantic beating of her heart. She needed a new topic, fast. Something about Beau. “Anyway, enough about my boring trips. What about you? Now that the quest is done, what’s the next legendary item on your list?”
“Let’s see… I… actually don’t have any adventures lined up,” Beau admitted. “Damn… I actually have free time… Maybe I can join you for your next adventure?”
“Oh… my next adventure…” Gaia chuckled. “Well… I don’t think there’s any place I haven’t been yet, so—”
“Hey, it’s okay if you don’t have any plans right now either,” Beau interrupted gently, her smile softening, placing a hand on that of her companion. “Sometimes the best adventures are the ones you don’t plan for. I’m just glad I got to share this last one with you.” Gaia’s face was flushed but for a different reason now. Her hand was now being held by Beau’s…!
“And… it’s okay if you hadn’t been to where you’ve said you’ve been. You… probably said you did to impress me.” Crap! She knows!
“I… I didn’t mean to be dishonest,” Gaia mumbled, pulling her hand away reflexively, then immediately regretting the loss of contact. She looked down at the bar top, tracing a wet ring with her finger. “I just… I wanted to be the person who had seen all those things. I wanted to be as cool as you.I wanted to help you…”
“And you did. You were a big help,” Beau reassured, her hand gently covering Gaia’s again, stopping the circular motion. “Hey. You don’t have to be a world-traveler to be cool, Gaia. You were smart, you were resourceful, and you helped me find Rongomaiwhenua. That’s what matters.” She squeezed Gaia’s hand reassuringly. “Besides, I think it’s pretty cute that you wanted to impress me.”
Gaia didn’t think. She just kissed Beau impulsively, pulling the taller woman into her embrace. It was probably the alcohol talking… So she might order another shot of whiskey later. Beau’s eyes widened for a split second in surprise, but the moment was fleeting. Before she could process the shock, she melted into the kiss, bringing her free hand up to cup Gaia's cheek. It wasn’t the kind of high-stakes moment she was used to, but it felt overwhelmingly, delightfully real. She pulled back just enough to look into Gaia’s flushed, hopeful eyes.
“Wow,” she breathed out, a genuine, soft smile spreading across her face. “Well, that was certainly an unplanned adventure.”
“Yeah…” Gaia panted. “And I’d actually wanna keep this one goin’, y’know?”
“Me too…” Beau answered, revealing her jacket and helping Gaia unbutton her vest. But then Gaia stopped her.
“W-wait! Not here…” Gaia giggled. “Maybe back at my place?”
“In the den, right?”
“Y-Yeah, or maybe by your place?”
“Yeah… I think my place is better. Quieter,” Beau whispered, leaning in to place a soft kiss on Gaia’s neck, sending shivers down her spine. “We can continue this celebration there. And maybe you can tell me a real travel story sometime.”
Gaia let out a breathless laugh, her previous anxieties completely dissolving in the warmth of Beau’s presence. “Deal. G’wan then. Lead the way, adventurer.” The two women left the bar, rushing out the door all giggles to run out of the kitchen and towards one of the many closets where boxes can be found. The journey there was a blur of shared glances and excited anticipation. Once the door was closed, sealing them into a private, wonderfully small world, the remaining articles of clothing quickly followed. Their celebration was only just beginning, an intimate, thrilling culmination of a quest that had brought them far more than just a legendary sword and an old friend.
In fact… something deeper than a friendship was brewing between the two of them now…