A bunch of Deneve x Helen drabbles as the ideas come to me. Because they are the closest thing this manga has to a canon pairing that's not Raki x Claire. Besides, you know you love them.
A bit of Tabathia x Miria too, because why not?
Chapter 1: Finally
"Bwhahaha!" The most boisterous of the Seven Ghost of Pieta drunken laugh filled the tavern. "I love this place!" Helen slurred. "This is the first time a city's ever treated me to free beer for savin' em. Plus this stuff is good." Swinging an arm around the shoulders of her friend, and at the moment victim, Deneve, she held out her cup. "Right? Take a swig, Denev." None of the other Ghost were allowed to invaded Deneve's space like Helen could. From their many times working together since the founding of Miria's original group the two had grown accustomed to each other and Helen's loud personality comfortably contrasted Deneve's stoic facade. Helen was also the only one aloud to call Deneve, Denev.
Closing her eyes and ignoring her teammates slightly childish, drunken behavior Deneve shrugged her off. "I have my own mug."
"Wow," Sid, one of Claire's human friends who had joined the Ghosts for a drink during their stay in Rabona, said. "I never thought a Claymore would be able to get drunk."
"We half human, half yoma are able to break down alcohol and toxins at will." Claire explained for her friend. "Conversely, we can let alcohol into our blood should we wish it as well. In short, to become intoxicated or not is up to the individual."
"So what about you?" Sid asked. "You soaking up the booze or what?"
"I'm absorbing half of it," Claire informed her friends. "But," With a wry smile. "It looks like I'm not as weak to alcohol as I thought."
In the other half of the tavern (which had been deserted expect for the Ghost and their friends) Helen appeared to have started drunkenly dancing. "Helen's certainly having a ball." Yuma noted.
Deneve paused for a moment and glanced at Helen. "More like drinking her sorrows away."
she settled into her chair and gazed into her mug. "After hearing all of that," Deneve referenced the truths that Miria had revealed to them earlier. "I don't think any of us can think straight anymore..." She trailed off, alternating between staring into the her mug, and occasionally checking on Helen. Across the room Galk said something that surprised Claire. They were talking about that boy of Claire's, Raki, again.
"...Left right away for somewhere else. But, whatever the case, he's doing well." Helen caught the trail end of Galk's words.
"I see, so you're still alive... Raki." Claire whispered to herself.
"He is actually alive? I don't believe it." Deneve exclaimed, drawn into their conversation.
"Huhwhosatmawhatsit?" Helen mumbled over Deneve's shoulder.
"He had a small kid with him, just like you had him back then." Sid said.
Claire jerked her head up, surprised again by Sid's words.
"Some little girl." He continued. "When I asked if it was your kid, he shook his head and said a relative left him her. I don't think he was telling the truth, but he didn't want to talk much about her, so I dropped the subject."
"A little... Girl?" Claire wondered.
"Hmmm?" Deneve leaded forward, interested.
"Sounds like this story just got serious!" Helen proclaimed, and then collapsed onto Deneve in a fit of giggles.
"Anyway, it's been seven years since we first met him. Now he's turned into a fine man. Looks like he's been through a lot." Sid said as Claire sat in silence.
"He did mention he was going to pass through all the cities you visited together. I didn't ask where he was headed." Galk looked Claire square in the eyes, his respect for the woman had not dimmed over the years since she saved his life. "Both of you are alive. So you'll definitely met again."
Claire met his gaze, and slowly nodded her head, then broke the eye contact by looking over at Helen, who was now leaning precariously on a table that looked as if it had seen far too many tavern brawls.
"Hehehe." She giggled her signature Helen laugh. "This shit just got reaaaal!"
Deneve cleared her throat as the tavern feel silent as the Ghosts and the humans amusingly looked on to their slightly tipsy friend.
"Did anyone actually see how many she's had?" Miria asked the question everyone was thinking.
"I think just...one." Yuma ventured.
Galk and Sid laughed, but the Ghosts stayed silent. "She can't hold her liquor in that petite body of hers." Sid laughed.
"Actually," Cynthia looked at the humans blankly, explaining for them, "She probably just used the inverse of the breaking down of alcohol and let a lot of alcohol into her blood stream."
"So..." Miria trailed off as Helen fell from the table, which she had tried to stand on. Shifting from her seat at the speed of, well, a Claymore, Deneve deftly caught Helen with one hand as she fell.
Clearing her throat again, Deneve looked around the room as seven pairs of eyes fell on her. Realizing from Miria's amused smirk and everyone else's grins that she had accidentally drawn the short straw and got the "Take care of the drunk friend" job.
"Ah, well... I'll go take her back to our room then."
Everyone but Helen nodded and moved back to their conversations. Helen protested. "I've only 'ad one drink! Comeon, Denev!"
Already steering Helen towards the door to the stairs Deneve retorted. "You know, calling me childish nicknames that I don't like won't help you at all here..." Upon entering the stair case, as the door swung shut behind them Deneve came upon the realization that Helen probably couldn't make it up the two flights of stairs on her own. Swinging one of Helen's arms around her shoulder, and placing on hand firmly on Helen's waist Deneve half dragged Helen up the stairs. "Comeon, up you go."
Helen mumbled something under her breath, which Deneve didn't hear and didn't bother to attempt to, but Helen placed a hand on Deneve's hip and began to shuffle up the stairs. About halfway up the first flight of stairs Deneve became impatience at their slow progress up the stairs.
"Too slow." She breathed out, deciding not to ask permission and kept the words short. With a sweep she moved her other arm under Helen's legs and began to carry Helen 'bridal style'.
"Yippee! Up I go!" Helen giggled and wrapped her arms around Deneve's midsection.
"Helen, I loves ya, but you are such an idiot sometimes." Deneve complained.
"Aww, " Helen said as she snuggled up against Deneve. "Do you really mean it?"
"That's you're an idiot. Yes." Deneve sighed as they reached the door to their room. Claire's priest friend had insisted on buying out the whole inn for them – for both their comfort and other travelers. Thus, instead of the seven of them all rooming together as they normally would, Miria had divided them into three rooms with the buddy system (yes, Miria had called it the buddy system, with much giggling on – sober – Helen's part). Miria and Tabathia had one room, Claire was put in with Cynthia and Yuma, so she wouldn't run off, and Deneve and Helen got one room.
"Nah, that you loooove me." Helen said in a sing song voice.
Pushing the door open Deneve sighed again. "I never said that, Helen."
"Yes, you diiiiiiiiiiiid."
"No," Deneve rather unceremoniously dropped Helen, but even a drunk Claymore has reflexes, and Helen caught the tail of Deneve's cloak to keep from falling. "I said that I loves ya; loves ya and love you are like the difference between a teen signing a note with a heart, and the a teen saying they love their girlfriend of one week. One means the kid has a crush, the other means to back the fuck away, and run."
"You has a cruuussshhh." Helen looped her arms around Deneve.
"Helen-" A hint of anger escaped in Deneve's warning tone. That is, until she found the chapped lips of Helen's crash into hers. The short haired warrior reacted timidly at first, but then found herself kissing Helen back.
Wait. This was Helen. Deneve reminded herself. Whatever happened between them would no doubt have consequences. This was also a very, very drunk Helen, who just a moment before couldn't even complete a full sentence.
Deneve pulled away (reluctantly). "Helen, no. You're drunk."
Helen laughed and Deneve felt a growing headache come on as she met a seemingly sober Helen's eyes. "Wait, are you drunk?"
"Maaayybe. I only 'ad ooone drink, Denev!"
"Fuck you, Helen. Fuck you." Deneve made to rub her eyes in frustration. No one, I repeat, no one could be closer to her than Helen, and no one could make her more frustrated. "Are you drunk or are you not?"
Instead of answering Helen drew Deneve in for another kiss. Filled by overwhelming basorexia Deneve decided to not figure out if Helen was faking drunk or not. All she knew at the moment was that she was finally kissing the girl whom, in the simplest terms possible, she had "had a crush on" since at least before Pieta.
With one hand she closed the door behind them, and with the other pushed Helen up against said door.
(Meanwhile, downstairs, in the tavern...)
Conversation in the tavern had grounded to a halt. It was not necessarily an awkward silence for the Ghosts, as they were used to being around each other without talking for seven long years, but Galk and Sid were slightly on edge.
Suddenly, breaking the silence, Miria decided to speak up, "10 gold pieces says they are getting it on."
"Please, Miria, no one would bet against you." Claire huffed.
"Wait, what?"
"Wait, who?" Sid and Galk asked simultaneously.
"Actually, I would bet against her." Tabathia, who was seated at Miria's side, said.
"Yeah?" Cynthia asked.
"Well, they are actually just making out right now."
"Ewwww, Tabby." Yuma complained.
Tabathia shrugged. "Can't help it, they aren't exactly hiding their youki signatures. I am the next God-eye after all. Trust me, there are things I'd rather not know, myself."
"Who are we talked about here?" Sid asked, very confused.
"Helen and Deneve." Claire filled them in.
"What!"
"They've fucking been head over head for each other since at least Petia. About time they made a move." Cynthia complained.
"Heck, there were sparks back on that first Awakened being hunt, right Claire?" Miria asked Claire.
"Now that you mention." Claire nodded.
"Woah, woah, woah. Step back a few steps. Deneve and Helen are gay for each other?"
"I'd say they are both pretty gay in general. Not just for each other." Tabathia nodded.
"Really?" Galk asked. "Pity."
"Boy, the gaydar, don't lie. And neither does the God-eyes."
"So.. um..." Sid started sheepishly. "How many of you guys are gay?"
"Exactly half." Cynthia said.
"Three and a half." Claire provided simultaneously.
"Three and half?" Galk wondered out loud.
"Well, Deneve and Helen are two. Tabby here is three. And Miria, is bi, thus, a half." Cynthia said.
"Hey!" Miria exclaimed.
"Please, Miria, no need to come out to use all, we kinda know."
"Also you and Tabby don't need to run around behind our backs, if you are with our little God-eyes, you aren't any less of a leader to us." Claire reassured Miria.
"What?" Both Sid, Galk, and Miria shouted.
"Don't try to pretend you two weren't just holding hands under the table a second ago."
Surprisingly for all of the present Ghosts Miria turned, not exactly a bright red, but definitely a shade of red. It was shy little Tabathia who reached across the table and placed her hand on her lover's cheek. Placing a short kiss on Miria's lips, she drew away and said, "There. Much better. It's it nice to be kick out of the closet, Miria?"
There was a silent moment during which Miria regained her composure and gave a brief normal Miria-style nod to Tabathia.
Deciding to save Miria from further embarrassment Claire directed their conversation back to it's original course. "So, Deneve and Helen..."
"About time." Cynthia muttered.
"It seemed like nothing was going to happen there. Seven whole years!" Miria complained.
"They just needed to get out of the North." Yuma said.
"Helen finally picked up the courage to make a move!" Cynthia said.
"As if Deneve was going to make the first move?" Tabathia uncharacteristically smirked. "That girl is too much of a gentleman to make the first move. Her hair says it all, classic dyke/butch cut."
"Woah. Deneve. Butch? Isn't everyone forgetting Undine?" Cynthia added.
"Deneve slept with Undine?" Yuma asked.
"Duh." Claire answered. "Probably one of the main reasons Helen was afraid to make a move. I mean the girl still carries around Undine's sword."
"But you know," Miria added, "Deneve called Undine's bluff before I even saw it. At heart Undine was just as insecure as the rest of us. More so, if that."
"Butch in the streets, femme in the sheets." Cynthia giggled.
The five Ghosts continued to bicker and talk about their teammates, past and present.
Galk and Sid watched amused. Sid found the perfect word for what they were both thinking. "Girls!" He sighed.
Above the tavern Helen and Deneve had the odd feeling that someone was talking about them, but brushed it off. Helen had the odd feelings she was going to have one nasty hangover the next morning, but if she got to wake up next to Deneve, it would be damn worth it.
You guys know the drill.
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