For the writing-prompts I'm doing on tumblr. doglover502 asked for "Seeing as we've both not got anyone, do you want to come to mine and watch a movie?" for AshXMeena.
Different Kind of Valentine's Day
Seeing as we've both not got anyone, do you want to come to mine and watch a movie?
Her words are still circling in Ash's head. She doesn't know why she said that, least of all to Meena.
Yes, the two of them got closer, but outright telling someone that they are alone on Valentine's day, isn't that some sort of an insult?
Okay, she knew that Meena didn't have a date beforehand. She said so herself when Rosita made a comment about Valentines today during rehearsal.
But still.
Ash only knows she wouldn't want anyone to call her and tell her this.
But she did.
And of course, Meena was too kind to say anything. But Ash would understand if Meena canceled on her tonight.
However, half an hour later the doorbell rings, and Ash asks Meena inside.
"I made some cookies," she said, holding up a box.
"Awesome!" Ash replies. "I made tea!"
And pretty soon the two of them are seated on the couch, each of them a plate of cookies on their laps and a steaming cup of tea in their hands.
"Okay, we have two options," Ash explains. "We can watch some really cheesy romantic comedy in honor of Valentine's Day or we can take a totally different approach and watch some really scary horror."
"Uuuuuhm…" Meena looks at her with wide eyes, her ears already covering her face, and Ash feels the urge to slap herself.
Really scary horror? With Meena!? What was she thinking!?
"But since it actually is Valentine's Day after all," she says quickly, "I'm really leaning towards the romantic comedy."
"Yeah," Meena says, somehow relieved. "Me too."
Ash has to admit, though, she's had worse Valentine's Days. Especially before she and Lance got together.
And sitting here with Meena, eating cookies, drinking tea and trying not to laugh when the movie gets a bit ridiculous - really, who was responsible for the writing? - is actually kind of nice.
When the credits start, Ash gets up to search her DVD collection for something else suitable for Valentine's Day.
She has tons of romantic comedies.
Not because she likes them, just because she forgot to throw them out after her breakup with Lance.
Maybe she should have thrown them in his face.
On the other hand he could have picked them up and would now watch them with this Becky.
And Ash likes that option even less.
"So, uhm," Meena starts, "this is your first Valentine's Day after … uhm …"
"Breaking up with Lance?" Ash suggests. "Yes, it is."
"Uhm, this is probably the last thing you want to talk about, but I'm curious," Meena says. "What did you guys do on Valentine's Day?"
Ash waits for the pang in her heart when someone else mentions Lance and the breakup. It never comes.
She just shrugs.
"Lance wasn't very much into this Valentine's Day-sort of thing," she tells Meena. "Or so he said. He kept complaining that it was an invention by florists and the chocolate industry, but on every Valentine's Day he managed to hide a rose for me somewhere. He never said anything, and I never asked him about it, but it's always been there. On my guitar case, in the pocket of my jacket, once even in the shower. It was kind of cute." She can't help, but remember all these little occasions, and although she hates to admit it, it makes her feel all warm and comfy. Even worse, it makes her smile.
"And when we came home after a long day at work or at gigs, he always had a new DVD with some romantic comedy he happened to find somewhere at a store real cheap, thus my collection of romantic comedies," she explains. "Then we watched it together, and that was our Valentine's Day."
She leaves out the part that they always had sex after watching the DVD, sometimes even while the DVD was still on because they couldn't wait any longer, but Meena doesn't need to know that.
"Hmmm," Meena makes, lowering her eyes, and Ash is afraid she might have said something wrong. But then Meena takes Ash's plate of cookies, shifting them around with her trunk.
Ash frowns a little at that.
When she's done, Meena holds out the plate to her.
"I know it's not a rose," she says when Ash looks down on the plate and realizes Meena has placed the cookies so that they form some sort of a flower, "but it'll have to do. Happy Valentine's Day, Ash!"
"Thank you!" Ash replies before she quickly reaches for Meena's plate and does the same with the cookies there.
"Happy Valentine's Day to you, too!" she says with a smile as she hands it back to Meena.
The girls laugh a little at that, and then Ash is seated on the couch next to Meena again, starting the DVD.
This is some different kind of Valentine's Day, really different from what she's used to, Ash thinks. But she has to admit, she likes it just as much.