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Grace and Simone had settled into their life on Erid quite well. It had been almost three years living together, after she recovered in the Eridian's medical facility they made for humans. Although it took a while for Simone to be at all receptive towards Rocky, Grace, and Adrian, she found herself becoming friends with them quite quickly.
It took a while to figure out things out, but Grace and Simone fell into a decent domestic rhythm. They'd wake up around "sunrise" and get ready to go to their respective jobs. Grace, as a teacher for the pebbles on Erid, and Simone training under Rocky to be an engineer. She already had some mechanic experience, but Rocky believed with the right tools and teaching, she could be almost as good as him (his exact words)! Then, once the light in the bio-dome dimmed, they'd wind down in the house by the beach.
They often spent their evenings together, usually watching a movie, or doing their own things next to each other. Simone especially loved to read, and Grace would usually either work on lesson plans, consultation for Eridian scientists, or knitting.
However, for some reason, Grace wanted to try something different.
As she slowly got most of her memories back, there was a small moment she had suddenly remembered while in the kitchen one morning. She vaguely remembered sitting on the bed while her mom did her makeup for her. She was probably seven or eight years old, and she has the fond memory of watching her mom pat her face with various products here and there. They had talked and giggled, and Grace remembered when her mom was satisfied with her work and showed Grace how she looked in the mirror, that Grace felt so pretty.
Of course, Grace's mom made sure to emphasize that makeup was not something that Grace needed, but rather could do for enjoyment. And that if anyone told her otherwise, they were cruel and foolish.
For the rest of her life, Grace hadn't really used makeup much. She knew an extreme amount of information about it, as she did with most things. She'd also use it for big events, like her high school and college graduations, or to feel more professional at academic conferences, but ever since she became a teacher, she never went full out. A little concealer and a nice lip color was all she needed to make herself look like she slept a healthy amount.
Of course, she had completely forgone makeup when working for Stratt. It wasn't really a comparable concern on the scale of, you know, the world's survival.
But now on Erid, where there were no more dire stakes, it had been something Grace thought about. She had asked Rocky to make some for her, and since she showed him references using the information uploaded to the Hail Mary he'd created multiple different shades of all the products she'd requested. But she still used the same, minimal amount she had used as a teacher on Earth. At the time, she wasn't sure what to do with them considering she was going to be the only one using them.
That was no longer the case with many things once Simone was found.
She was reminded of her extended stash of makeup when she had been searching for a fresh towel that morning, and figured she could try a new evening activity with Simone.
When Simone returned home, she noticed Grace laying out a bunch of things that seemed like they would be used for painting, but not quite. She hadn't seen things like that before.
"What's all that?" She asked, taking her shoes off. She headed to the bedroom to drop her bag off and change, while Grace responded, elevating her voice to reach the other room.
"It's makeup! I asked Rocky to make it for me a while back—before we found you actually—but I found it again while I was looking for stuff this morning!" Simone hummed in interest as she returned to the living room and sat next to Grace on the couch. "And, well," Grace continued, at a normal volume, "I thought we could change things up today and I show you."
"What's it for?" Simone asked, moving pillows to get comfortable on the couch.
Grace explained, "It has more of a cosmetic purpose than any real practical need, it's a way to alter your appearance. People on Earth often used it to look different, usually—well—I guess the best word for it is prettier. To emphasize certain features, or match an outfit, or for an special occasion. I think it's fun to play around with, so I thought—I dunno—that I'd do your makeup! Or you could do mine?"
Simone cocked an eyebrow. "Does my appearance need changing?" she said, pressing her lips together to hide a smile.
Grace's eyes widened wildly.
"What—No! No, of course not! I just—sorry, I'm so sorry—"
Simone chuckled "I'm teasing, Grace. It sounds fun, I'll try it out."
Grace let out a sigh of relief, and nervously pushed up the glasses that were slipping down her nose. "Oh, right. Sorry. Anyways, I'll need you to face me, if you don't mind."
Simone shook her head at the apology, and shuffled to lift her legs onto the couch, crossing them and facing fully towards Grace. Grace then grabbed a palette of various, large circles that looked akin to colors of skin.
"Now, normally I would use different products based on your skin type, but we don't have a ton of options. I have some liquid foundation, 'cause my skin is really dry, but I only have it my shade. So, for today, I'll use the foundation palette I got." She said, as she adjusted her position to face Simone—sitting on her knees, touching Simone's ankles— and then lifted the palette next to Simone's face, and shut one of her eyes. After a second, she grabbed a large brush, with a thick handle, and she dabbed the brush onto the shade she thought was a best fit, and reached her arm out towards Simone.
She hesitated for a moment. Simone warily eyed the brush that was close to her face.
"Just want to check, you're okay with me touching your face, right? And I—I might have to get really close to you sometimes. Is that okay with you?"
Simone smiled warmly. She felt that at this point, Grace didn't need to really check in with her when she wanted to get in her personal space. Still, she appreciated that she got the choice to say no at all. She answered.
"Thank you for asking, I'm okay with that."
Grace's lips spread in a small smile, and she nodded, back to business. She gingerly placed her fingers on Simone's face for balance, and gently pat at it, spreading the powder.
"Honestly, the foundation is kind of a formality, considering your skin is very smooth and has no blemishes. I wish I was as lucky, I still get the occasional pimple, and it always drives me nuts. Not 'cause I don't like the way it looks, but rather the way it feels." She said, as she continued to pick up powder with the brush and drag it against Simone's skin.
Simone's breath hitched. She knew Grace would have to get close to her, but she didn't expect it to be this close.
Grace continued to ramble about foundation and skin types, and Simone really, really tried to pay attention to what she was saying, but it was hard to pay attention when Grace's face was so. goddamn. close. The fact that her hand was on her face as well didn't help matters much either, the warmth tickled Simone's skin. Grace then placed the palette and brush down, and picked up another palette, this one instead in various shades of red and pink. She lifted the palette up to Simone's face, just as she had with the other palette, and then then opened it and dabbed at it with a different brush.
"I don't know how accurate this blush will be, I'm not the greatest at color matching, but I think I know a little bit of color theory." She said, gently patting the brush against Simone's face.
This continued as Grace grabbed various other products and applied them to Simone's face, who was doing her best to fight down the real blush blooming on her face and along her neck. She gulped. As she kept looking up at Grace, she began to notice little details. Glasses askew and dangling from her chin, a sight that was far from abnormal. Wispy strands of hair that escaped her typical ponytail that she always tossed up at the beginning of the day. The way her brows were slightly scrunched in concentration, and pout that shaped her mouth, with the tip of her tongue peeked out past her lips. Simone also noticed the slight redness of Grace's own cheeks, one that wasn't there earlier. She could feel her heart speed up in her chest.
"So, for this part, I might have to get a little bit close than I was before, if you don't mind."
Really, Simone should have said no. All of the feelings for Rylie Grace that she had crammed down were starting to spring up again.
Ever since Simone recovered and lived with Grace, she had felt an undeniable attraction to the woman. Not just physically, although she couldn't deny that Grace was very, very, beautiful. But her personality was just as beautiful. She was so gentle in her words and actions. She tried to introduce Simone to new things, while giving her access to the back door if she didn't like it. She talked with Rocky about Simone learning to become an engineer, despite having very little experience with the field beyond fixing up a machine here and there. She never pushed Simone about her life before Erid, telling Simone that she could share when she was ready. She had been perfectly open to sharing a bed with Simone, and even letting her cuddle, knowing how beneficial physical touch would be for them both.
(Although the cuddles satisfied a much different craving of Simone's)
The gentleness and care that Grace directed towards Simone was something that Simone struggled to believe was real. Not because it seemed fake, but because she felt she didn't deserve it. Really, she was that last person who should be receiving such a tender treatment. The space to be kind to others was a privilege on Eden, a place where the first rule for survival was to only look out for yourself, and keep your head down. Not just that but Simone was The Butcher, The Convict, the crude criminal that didn't deserve a second glance. There were some days in the beginning that when she looked in the mirror, she had a hard time believing she, herself, was real at all. It took a long, long time for all those feeling to fade away.
But even without her lack of self-respect, she didn't want to act on her feelings towards Grace. They may have been the only two humans on Erid, but that didn't mean they had to be in a relationship. No matter how much Rocky and Adrian insisted they should become mates, she didn't want to push Grace into that. She was perfectly fine to co-exist alongside Rylie Grace—shamefully stealing glances at Grace here and there—to be a part of her world, even if it wasn't in the way that Simone wanted deep deep down.
This proximity was going to drive her up the walls though.
Grace had gotten closer, shifting to rest on her heels and towering even more height over Simone than she typically did. She was applying something to her eyelashes, and Simone was the most still she could possibly be. Grace adjusted the feather light touch she had to grip Simone's cheek better. It was still just as gentle as the woman herself.
Simone looked at her again. God, she was just going to commit this sight to memory. It was just so damn soft. Unlike any sight she'd ever seen on Eden.
"Okay, for this part, uh, I'll need you to close your eyes." Grace said, grabbing a slender tube, almost like a pen, and uncapping it. Simone did as instructed, and felt Grace shift even closer, feeling her breath on Simone's own skin.
Fuck. Fucking hell. Fuck.
Simone held her breath. She felt a cool substance on her right eyelid drag along her skin, as Grace let out heavy breaths against her face. She tried to open her left eye to look at Grace, but Grace raised an eyebrow at it, and it quickly shut.
"Simone, it'll come out wonky if you move your eyes. Please do your best to stay as still as you can, okay?"
"Okay. Sorry."
"No need to apologize, and thank you." Grace hummed. Simone felt her chest get tight at the words.
She thought it would be better if she wasn't looking at Grace, but somehow not looking at her felt worse. Mostly because she didn't know what the hell her own face was doing. She took long, deep breaths in an attempt to even out her heart.
It didn't work.
She felt restless, squeezing the fabric of her own pants.
It felt like an eternity, having to act normal about feeling Grace's breath on her face.
Finally, she felt Grace step back, and Simone fluttered her eyes open again, seeing Grace reach over to the table to grab one last thing, a tube. She opened and twisted it to reveal a dark red, like the color of wine. She leaned forward, as close as the last time she had done it.
"The final touch." She whispered, breath falling onto Simone's lips.
Grace cupped Simone's chin, and gently pulled it forward. She applied the color in three smooth strokes. She then frowned, and rubbed at the corner of Simone's mouth, before the frown melted away and she smiled brightly. Simone felt like she was going explode from one, all the heat shooting through her veins, and two, her extreme self-restraint from pulling Grace down and kissing her stupid.
"Done! Now come, see how it looks!" Grace cheered, fumbling off the couch and grabbing Simone's hand, and dragged her to the bathroom.
They reached the bathroom, and Grace watched Simone, as Simone looked at the mirror.
Whoa. She didn't expect to like how she looked.
She looked so…pretty. She didn't see her usual rugged, gruff, and tough self. But felt like she was looking at a princess. In actuality, Grace hadn't changed her face that much. Still, it felt different looking at herself here than she had perceived herself her entire life. It was new.
She liked it.
"It's…it's nice. Thank you, Rylie." Simone said, turning to Grace—no—Rylie.
Rylie froze at use of her first name, before beaming. "Of course! I'm glad you liked it, it was fun for me to do!" Though she then sobered a little. "Although, you'll have to wipe it off before we go to bed." She said.
Simone's lips split into a slight smile, and took Rylie's hand into her own to pull them back to the living room. "Well, we still have dinner to eat, right?"
Simone decided to do what was probably extremely stupid, but she didn't care.
She lifted up Rylie's hand to her lips, and pressed a gentle kiss, leaving a stamp of her lips behind. She looked up at Rylie, who looked like blush powder had exploded in her face.
Rylie then pulled the hand that was holding onto her own, and enveloped Simone's lips with her own, cradling the side of Simone's face with her free hand. Simone let go, and wrapped her arm around the waist of the taller woman.
Their kiss was gentle, as everything had been. It was also hesitant, and Simone was pretty damn tired of holding back. She let her tongue slip out against Rylie's lips, a request, and Rylie responded. Rylie let Simone in, and kissed deeper. The gentleness fired up into a far more desperate, passionate kiss. Rylie's other hand slid into Simone's hair, and Simone melted into the touch. She heard Rylie softly moan, and it made Simone kiss her even harder. It wasn't until the two started running out of breath before they broke apart, and Rylie cupped Simone's face with both of her hands.
"I'd been waiting for that ever since I met you." she whispered.
"Then why the hell did you not kiss me sooner?!" Simone exclaimed, with no real frustration behind it. Rylie just groaned and slumped her head against the shorter woman's shoulder, hiding in the crook of her neck as Simone laughed.