The Cynic and the Polyglot
AN: I have been working on a sequel to my longer piece "Arrows Through Her Heart" and, alas, not getting very far. For a bit of Saint Valentine's Day fluff I submit this piece as complete.
"That's not possible because you don't have, eap…" Habits are powerful things and Daria just barely stopped herself from mouthing the reflexive snark which would have easily rolled off her tongue a year or more past.
Tiffany took her hands and said characteristically slowly but more than usually forcefully, "I know what you want to say. Please, Daria, for me, be honest and just say it. I'll start again: I speak so sloowly because I'm braaain-damaged."
Daria wasn't sure which would have come out first: nervous sweat or tears of regret and shame as she looked into Tiffany's suddenly hard gaze. A bead of cold sweat rolled down her forehead.
"That's impossible because you don't have a brain," Daria stammered. A couple hot, hard-wrought tears now joined the sweat. "Oh God, Tiffany, I'm sorry."
Tiffany lifted Daria's hand to her lips and smiled. "Thank you. Thank you. I am glad you can say that to me. I used to say worse things about you, Daria."
"But I don't believe it!" Daria insisted. "You're not brain-damaged. You learn languages quicker than anyone, Tiff. You and Quinn speak fluently in Italian."
Tiffany hugged Daria as she said, "But I can't speak English properly. Okay, maybe it's a neurological disorrrder. I sound like a dumb cow. A slow, dumb cow."
"No, no," Daria insisted. "English just isn't a pretty language. The French say that English sounds like a bunch of dogs barking. You like cats, not dogs."
Tiffany laughed and drawled. "Oh, Daria even I know that's silly."
Daria tried to regain control of the situation. "Just promise me you won't drink any more caffeine. I know it makes you speak English faster but it can't be good if it makes you stay up for a day at a time."
"But I like talking to you at normal speed."
"I'll learn Italian," Daria promised. "No, that's Quinn's thing. Gotta be different. Okay, starting tomorrow you teach me Vietnamese or Hebrew. Your pick."
"Ciao, Tiffany. Hi Daria." Quinn virtually sang as she came into Daria's room. Tiffany looked guilty to exclude Daria as she and Quinn conversed in rapid Italian.
Daria graced the two with a tiny smile. "Look, kids. Go to Quinn's room and gossip about me in la lingua bella. I'll get ready for bed and join you in a few."
Quinn smiled slowly and slyly. "Wow, you're not going to get undressed in front of your foxy new girlfriend and your sister? You two really are taking it slow."
Tiffany giggled guiltily and dragged Quinn out of the room leaving Daria alone. Daria got into her usual bed clothes: an extra-large black tee with Twain's mustachioed visage and a pair of baggy soft shorts under it.
Quinn was right: she and Tiffany by unspoken consent were taking the physical aspect of their relationship slowly. But Daria was due to leave for sophomore year at Raft in just two short weeks. And Tiffany? She would be on the far other coast as she and Quinn took off for Pepperhill just a couple days after Daria left Lawndale.
Daria shook her head. Who would have thought that a party-school like Pepperhill would be the only university in the world to offer majors in both gemology and ancient and modern Semitic languages?
Maybe she and Tiffany needed to take advantage of the short time they had left? Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays would be far off.
Daria padded on her socks into Quinn's room. Quinn was at her computer occasionally moving away from the monitor to show Tiffany something about their jewelry design business. Tiffany smiled and patted the spot next to her on Quinn's bed.
Daria started a slow, short-distance strut which went unnoticed by Quinn while Tiffany looked at her more closely. Daria plopped herself down on Tiffany's lap, a move which caused Quinn to pause in mid-phrase when she turned away from the monitor. As Tiffany's arm wrapped around her and she laid her head on Tiffany's shoulder, she heard them resume their discussion in Italian.
"Who would have thought my sister has a real talent for languages?"
Daria had taken German in Lawndale, a whim and sop to her distant paternal heritage. She got her usual A's from the classes and would probably continue in German at Raft to fulfill requirements, but she knew she was not as quick with languages as Quinn who had self-taught herself to fluency.
"Italian is very pretty," she thought, the last thing on her mind before she was aware of Quinn and Tiffany attempting to keep their giggles to a low pitch. Daria came awake and stretched, still in Tiffany's arms.
"Aw, too bad," Quinn said. "You look so cute sleeping."
"Yeah," Tiffany drawled in English. "And we were just about to give you a make-over."
"No way! Keep away from me with your harlot paints and creams."
Daria looked into Tiffany's deep brown canted eyes. Quinn was a few feet away. They were on Quinn's bed but she didn't care just then. Daria kissed Tiffany's pouting, bee stung lips.
Tiffany was surprised but quickly reacted by opening her mouth to let Daria's long tongue probe and explore. After a deep, slow smooch Daria pushed her supine and straddled her. Tiffany was delightfully surprised as Daria crawled up and kissed her again.
"Uhm, guys," Quinn said mostly to Daria's upturned rear. "Uhm, Tiff? Daria? You know, I haven't even done that on my bed."
Daria did not hear her, concentrated as she was on the feeling of her nipples stiffening against Tiffany's slightly more ample breasts. Tiffany's hands wrapped around her little rear.
"Uhm, guys," Quinn tried again. "I think, you know, the Abandoned Quarry is only about five miles away. Not that I would know, of course. Daria doesn't even have to get dressed. You could be there in ten minutes. And there's supposed to be a meteor shower tonight. Romantic, huh, guys?"
They broke off kissing. Tiffany raised her head and lightly bit the end of Daria's nose.
"Yum, meteor." She uttered.
Daria slowly stuck out her long tongue and licked Tiffany's spit off her own nose.
Without a word, Daria got off Quinn's bed and took Tiffany's hand. Without a word, Tiffany got off Quinn's bed and let herself be led out the door.
"Uhm, good night, girls." Quinn called to her door as it closed. She sighed slow and long before turning back to her computer.
Tiffany and Daria padded down the carpeted hall to Daria's room, stopping only to listen to two tones of gentle snoring from Daria's parents' room.
As Daria was about to lead Tiffany into Daria's room, Tiffany stopped her. The two stood a moment on the deep hall carpet. Daria began to look wistfully and inquiringly into Tiffany's eyes. Tiffany took her shoulders and gently but insistently straightened the shorter girl. She squared Daria's position with her own.
Daria found herself standing straight and putting her legs together to stand as tall as possible. A small smile played at her lips as Tiffany looked at her with almost military precision.
Tiffany gave a tiny wiggle to straighten herself even more. She moved in and the taller girl dipped her head just a bit to kiss Daria full on the lips, arms encircling her. Daria again found herself reacting naturally to stand on tip-toes to match Tiffany's height, then tip-toe as her left knee bent and her foot lifted itself.
Daria cooed a long, low note in pleasure and appreciation. A slight snort interrupted the snoring from the next room. Tiffany broke the kiss and gave Daria a cross look of semi-mock sternness. She made a 'Daria tsk' motion then she opened the door and led Daria into her own room.
"I'm glad I learned how to put a lock on a door," Daria reflected as she carefully locked up. "It can keep out more people than just Quinn."
Hours later, Daria wondered why it was familiar somehow that the clock read 4:07 in its red numerals.
QM QM QM QM QM
"Good night, guys," Quinn said to the closing door. She did not wait for an answer.
She sighed as she turned back to the website of jewelry supplies which she had been discussing with Tiffany while Daria snoozed in Tiffany's arms. Quinn tried to take a few more notes but gave up after a couple scribbles.
Quinn shut down her computer. As she moved to the window she glanced at the special, secret hiding spot for her Playgirls. Maybe not so special and secret as Daria seemed to have had no trouble finding her stash. She shook her head and continued to the window.
A fingernail sliver of a moon surrounded by stars hung in the sky. Quinn had always liked the moon best at this size and sharp shape whether waxing or waning, although she could never explain why.
Two streaks of light in rapid succession shot across her view. She was developing a tiny interest in star-gazing and was happy she could take in the meteor shower on that cloudless night.
She half-turned in the direction of Daria's room. She seriously doubted Daria or Tiffany were looking at the sky just then or maybe they were.
A small smile played across her lips as Quinn said out loud, "Two wishes just for me."