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It poured today.
Heavy, loud rain hit the glass windows over and over, the pattering of water echoing all around the speakeasy, bouncing between cabinets and cold stone.
The rain brought a certain kind of humidity. A couple stray baby hairs clung to AJ’s skin, her skin sweating lightly at the humid air, despite the cold temperature.
All around, tables had been made up. It had become a kind of ritual after everything had ended, after they all became safe again. AJ would be a liar not to admit that it wasn’t nice, making drinks for everyone in her and Drift’s home, dancing around and laughing about Academy days.
Not that it was the highlight of her week, or anything.
Except—
Who was AJ kidding? It was.
“AJ, stop it!”
A girl in an oversized black sweater and blue jeans came down the stairs from their loft, her hair done up into braids. Instinctively, AJ smiled at her. “Stop what?” She teased, shutting the cabinet door quickly.
“Stop hiding all the nuts!” Drift hissed at her, meeting her behind the bar with an annoyed expression. AJ only smiled harder now that she was next to her.
“I’m not! I’m putting glasses away, Open Book, come on.” She tilted her head and gestured to the several freshly-washed beer glasses on the bar top, placed on top of a thin towel.
“Oh yeah?” She nodded, before opening the cabinet AJ had just closed. “What’s this, then?”
The girl began to giggle, refusing to look at the upper cabinet, which she knew was full of Leg’s favourite nuts. “I don’t know.”
“Really? You can’t see the—“ Drift looked up to the cabinet and counted the packets of cashew nuts. “—twelve bags of nuts you hid?”
It had become a bit between them all. Legs had insulted AJ’s favourite drink, leading AJ to hide the bags of nuts he loved so much from him every Friday.
It always pissed Legs off. And while AJ knew Drift found it funny, well, one of them had to be a responsible owner.
“Nope. Think you might be insane, honestly. Hallucinating.” AJ shrugged, trying hard to get the dirty grin off her lips.
“Hallucinating? Right, so, if I’m hallucinating, how can I touch them?” Drift reached her hand into the cabinet and gripped a packet, the sound echoing in the room.
AJ didn’t miss a beat. “Tactile hallucinations. I’m not even real, actually, you’re just too far gone.” She sighed sadly, her face itching closer to Drift’s, like being pulled.
“Ah, I was just so heartbroken by your death, huh? Had to hallucinate all this so I wouldn’t break?”
“Of course. You just love me too much.” AJ smiled against Drift’s lips, her eyes closing as they leaned in to kiss.
“Hm. Yeah. I do.”
A warm feeling washed over AJ as she closed her eyes, lips moving over Drift’s. She felt a hand around her waist, which turned into a whole arm, while AJ’s own hand reached to cup Drift’s face.
Somehow, kissing Drift never got boring. How her lips nibbled on AJ’s bottom, or her breath tickled her skin, or her tongue just slightly licked her. It always tasted like rain and flowers, like mist. AJ didn't know when she became so addicted to it, only that she was.
Behind them, the open cabinet was left forgotten. The hold on AJ’s waist tightened, and suddenly her body was fully flushed against Drift’s, thighs and chests touching. Rain continued to patter outside, but the sound of it was muffled by the still-existing butterflies in AJ’s stomach, and the sounds of lips smacking against each other.
Eventually, AJ tried pulling away, to put the glasses on the bar top away before anyone got to the speakeasy, but she was pulled back in immediately, the kiss only deepening as Drift gave her hot, open-mouthed kisses.
“Mm.” The shorter girl moaned, a smile unable to leave her face at Drift’s eagerness. “Missed me, Open Book?”
“You woke up too early.” She answered between kisses, eyes still not opening. “Didn’t get my morning kisses.”
A chuckle stayed in AJ’s chest. “My apologies, Princess.”
With a sudden urge, AJ pushed into Drift, making her back turn towards the wall-length cabinets behind her, and lay against it. AJ didn’t stop kissing her, and Drift didn’t loosen her hold on her girlfriend.
Drift’s other hand seemed to snake into AJ’s hair, taking a bunch and—
Ding.
The kiss stopped, as both women pulled away and glanced to the open door, which had just been flung open.
It didn’t escape AJ how obvious they looked — cheeks flushed, breathing heavy, bodies pressed against each other, with Drift’s back against a wall. But, she also didn’t care. Almost the entire village had seen them kiss before, anyways — this was nothing new.
If AJ wanted to kiss her girlfriend as a full, grown adult, she would kiss her girlfriend. Didn't matter what they thought, did it?
“Sorry, I know I’m early.” Megii had come in through the door. AJ felt a split feeling of annoyance at being interrupted, but quickly recovered. “It’s just raining so bad, I was caught in the markets and didn’t want to go all the way back, and then… oh.”
Their friend was covered in water, her hair soaked at the scalp, and clothes wet. She stared at the two girls with an embarrassed look. “Sorry, I’m interrupting something. I can—"
"No, it's okay, Magpie." Drift smiled at her softly, sneaking out from AJ's hold to walk towards her. "We were, just, uh…"
"Finishing up." AJ finished for her, slightly upset at the interruption. "Of course, if you want to leave, we'd be more than happy—"
"That's… she's kidding, Megii. Don't leave." Drift stuttered, giving her partner a dirty look.
Before Megii could so much as reply, AJ's mouth fell open in shock. "Oh, seriously? You're the one who bloody kissed me, Drift! What happened to those morning kisses, huh?"
"Well, I got them already. Duh." She rolled her eyes playfully, still with a little smirk, making AJ scoff.
"Yeah, get with the times, AJ." Megii chimed in, heaving made her way through the dark oak tables and chairs, in front of the bar.
"Yeah, AJ." Drift nodded, staring at her girlfriend. "Oh. I mean… unless you want to kiss me again, so bad, you just have to kick our only guest out?" Her voice was high and whiny, teasing AJ relentlessly, their noses close to touching, still opposite Megii.
"Aw. You really are hallucinating, Open Book." AJ shook her head, feigning sadness.
"Am I?" She tilted her head and winked at the woman. "Or are you?"
They stared at each other, the room becoming hotter and hotter. AJ found it oddly impossible to look away from Drift's pretty eyes. All she wanted to do was lean in and—
"Still here, guys." Megii reminded them with an awkward laugh, sounding entirely unsure of what to do. "Still here."
AJ vaguely recalled Juniper promising AJ and Drift privacy when they shared their home. That no one would come knocking, and that the two could do whatever they wanted.
So much for that, she thought, giving Megii a wink. "If you want to join, Magpie, I mean…"
"Woah, woah— no! Ambear and I are perfectly fine, thank you very much, AJ." Megii stuttered over herself, her cheeks becoming pink, making both bar owners laugh.
"When is Fairy coming, anyway? She coming early, too?" AJ asked, starting to continue drying the glasses laid out for her.
"No, she'll be late. Something about…" Megii went quiet for a moment, looking at the bar table, before glancing up again. "Yeah, I forgot."
Drift snorted at her. "Well, hopefully she gets to come. Pyro and Scott are back, so, maybe everyone will be here tonight."
"Cold One?" AJ's voice rose an octave. "And Hot One? Wow. What a treat, we haven't seen them in so long."
"I know, they've been visiting Boralith, I think?" Magpie shrugged, taking a hand towel from next to the small sink, and drying her hair with it. "Oh! Did you guys hear that Zam and Graecie are renewing their vows?"
AJ didn't, but clearly Drift did. "I did, I'm so happy for them. Wait, AJ, did you order that special wine for Graecie?"
She smirked. "Yup. Twice as much as she asked for."
The other two ooohed. "She's getting drunk tonight, jeez." Megii laughed to herself.
"Oh, she better. Took a small fortune to get here. You know it's banned in some places?" AJ shook her head, drying one of the glasses. "Insane. I've had it myself, the thing's fine."
"Oh, people are just being annoying." Drift agreed, before moving towards the stairs to the loft. "I'll go get changed now, before everyone else comes."
Megii began to say okay, but AJ whined and interrupted her. "No… my sweater looks so cute on you." She pouted at her girlfriend, who laughed at her and rolled her eyes.
"I'll wear it to bed, then, my gosh. I just need something a bit less pajama-y. Be right back." Suddenly, Drift disappeared up the stairs, leaving AJ and Megii alone.
"It's nice how well you two have been getting along." Magpie noticed, giving AJ a small, proud smile. "I'm happy for you two."
"Oh, don't get me stared." She shook her head and sighed. "I never thought… oh, I don't know."
"You don't know?" Megii pushed, listening intently, as she always did.
AJ smiled to herself, not looking at her friend. "Just never thought it would actually turn out like this. Us, alive. Together."
"I know."
She glanced up from the bar top. "Not just me and Drift, either, Megii. All of us. You, and Fairy, Micheala, Ros… it just never felt real, when I thought about it."
"It didn't to me, either." Megii agreed quietly. Her hair was drying quicker now, with the hand towel wet next to her. "You and Drift especially, after everything? All those fights, and… gosh."
"Yeah." The memories, faded as they were, of what happened between them always sat in the back of AJ's mind, constant reminders of what she could end up doing again. "I know."
For one of the first times, the two fell into a comfortable silence. AJ didn't feel the need to prod or tease and fill the silence, while Megii didn't need to ask questions.
They were there, together, alive, and happy. It was more than enough.
AJ liked polishing off the glasses because it was easy. Something to keep her hands busy, but let her mind wander.
I wonder what Drift is wearing.
She smiled, secretly hoping that she wouldn't wear anything, and that they could just— nevermind.
"Let me check on my girlfriend." She sighed, now mostly done with the glasses. Megii looked up automatically, smiling. "Make sure she's not trying to do matching outfits or something stupid."
"I don't think Drift would ever do that." She laughed.
"Never say never." The bar owner muttered, walking up the cold stone into their loft.
It was difficult to decide how to decorate the house, between the two of them. Mostly because AJ didn't want to live with a bunch of vines around her, but she also couldn't build. It was a days-long fight between the two, with Drift sneaking in potted plants and leaves, and AJ secretly trying to throw them out behind her girlfriend's back.
Eventually, when Megii came by and gave them a talking to about working together and sharing is caring, they worked it out.
Less plants, but still more than AJ wanted.
It bothered her occasionally, but seeing Drift so happy once she agreed made it almost worth it.
In the loft, Drift stood in front of the mirror, which was opposite their shared bed. She had on the same jeans, but instead of the sweater, it was a dark green halter top, showing off her cleavage and collarbones, her tan skin, like a goddess.
"Woah, Open Book." AJ sighed longingly, leaning against the wall. "You trying to kill me?"
Drift grinned when saw her. "Only a little bit."
"I can tell. Wow. You look beautiful."
"You do, too."
AJ didn't say anything. She always looked beautiful.
"You know, I think tonight'll be fun." Drift tilted her head, and looked back into the mirror. "Everyone's here, happy, safe. So what if it's raining? We'll have fun."
"We always do." AJ agreed, stepping next to her girlfriend, arm around her waist, squeezing it lightly.
The two went quiet as they heard another ding! from downstairs.
AJ extended a gracious hand, palm up, ready to take Drift's hand in hers. "Ready, Princess?"
No words could describe the beauty of her smile. "With you? Always."