First Rosemary fan fiction :))
Homestuck belong to Andrew Hussie.
Chapter 1: Besoin de rien envie de toi
You think you are lost. Wait. In fact you are lost. Your name is Rose Lalonde and you really have no idea of where you are in this damned city called Paris. According to your manager, it would be a great idea to go to Paris for the promotion of the French version of your book "The complacency of the learned". And indeed, it worked! The cramps in your right hand can prove it, especially after signing hundreds of books during twelve long hours. After this long day, your manager accepted that you take a break and enjoy your free time. After all it is Paris, city of love and every other nickname it can have. So first things first, you came to the conclusion that today was shopping day at the Galleries Lafa…Faya…Ah whatever…today was shopping day at a commercial center. When you looked at a map this morning you noticed that your hotel was not really far away from the building. Since it was a beautiful and sunny day today, especially after three days of perpetual clouds above the country, you opted for a walk despite the cold (winter sucks). You left your hotel and started walking. You had to turn right, left, left, right and normally the galleries are…there… Nothing? Okay don't worry. It was the wrong way. Surely you missed an intersection. You only had to go back to the hotel and to start over. Left, right, right, left…No hotel? What the hell? Did the buildings move behind your back or what? Eventually you realized you had no idea where you were. You recognized neither the buildings nor the streets.
"Great." You groaned.
Back to the present, you wonder why you didn't bring the map with you. Situating the shopping center on the map is totally different from finding it in the city with all these streets. Are you in the right direction in fact? You continue to walk hoping to find a familiar place or edifice, but no result. You are utterly lost and are getting cold. Maybe it is time for you to ask for help. You notice a man on the other side of the street. You are ready to call him when a glimpse of black lace catches your attention and you stop in front of a window display. That's when you see it: a long, sleeveless black dress. It is simple, but you like it, especially with this pink sash around the waist and the tiny pink details all over the garment. It doesn't catch too much attention, but the difference of colors is enough to divert eyes toward you.
Suddenly you remember the other reason why you wanted to go to the shopping center. Indeed, your manager informed you about a dinner at the Opera restaurant of the Palais Garnier. The goal of the dinner is primarily for celebrating the success of your books. But it is also the occasion to visit the palace for an eventual violin concert given by you. The dress code for tonight is formal. Well you found your formal dress.
Your reach for the door and enter. "Maryam et Maryam – tailor-made". You notice the name of the shop on the door and wonder why there is two times the name "Maryam". The shop is relatively small. There is one single room where several dresses and suits are displayed. At the bottom of the room there is a single door, surely the studio. A desk is situated next to this door, and behind this desk a woman, reading. However she quickly acknowledges you. At first she stares at you, eyes widened. But she composes herself shortly and stands up to welcome you. She is a tall and slender woman with long and wavy dark hair. Moving with grace she comes closer to you. You are able to discern then the tattoos on her bare shoulders and the piercings on her face, especially the one on her lips.
"Bonjour! Puis je vous aider?" She says, joyful.
You stop at the door, startled. You try to remember the few words in French you know to answer. You fail.
"Well…I…"
"Oh! English?"
"Yes, sorry."
She laughs. "Don't worry about it. It's not a problem at all. So what can I do for you?"
"Well I would like to buy this dress" You point at the window display.
She looks at where you are pointing and a really huge smile appears on her face. You stare at her.
"Is something wrong?" You ask. "Is the dress not for sell?" You hope not.
"No no you can buy it." She replies. "Mais quelle coïncidence! Qui l'eut cru? She whispers. "Anyway, of course you can buy it. But I think it needs some adjustments. It's a single model."
"Oh okay"
"Let's do it right away. KANAYA!" She shouts. Then she talks to you once again. "My sister will do it. She is the most suited person for this job since she designed this dress." She smirks. "By the way, I'm Porrim Maryam."
"Oh nice to meet you." You reply. "I'm…"
You don't have time to finish the presentations as someone appears next to you.
"Yes Porrim?"
You turn around. You freeze. In front of you, stands the most beautiful and perfect goddess of this mortal world. Okay maybe you are exaggerating a little… Wait… No. You are not exaggerating at all. She is taller than you, but not as much as her sister is. Her smooth light tanned skin brings out the jade of her eyes and her spiky black hair gives her a boyish style but with all the feminine attributes. She is gorgeous. Unconsciously your eyes trail down to her chest. It is perfect. You wonder if her ass… Wait wait Lalonde. What are you thinking? Stop it already! You don't want to have a nosebleed in front of these pretty ladies. It would be a moment of pure awkwardness and shame for you and you don't want to scare them. Stay focus and behave! So you do your best to show the most perfect poker face you can make. However it is not the case for your interlocutor, who is furiously blushing and is staring right at you.
"Miss Lalonde, this is my little sister Kanaya Maryam." Porrim exclaims, really amused.
"Ah? I don't remember giving you my name." You remark.
"Oh it is not difficult to recognize such a celebrity like you: Rose Lalonde talented writer and violinist. And with all the pictures of you I saw, I think I will recognize you even with a wig and sunglasses."
"What do you mean?"
"Well…" Porrim looks at her sister, who vigorously shakes her head. You look at her and her smiling sister wondering what the problem is. All of a sudden Porrim takes Kanaya in her arms to prevent her from absconding.
"This sister of mine, here, is a really huge fan of yours! She has all your books and CDs."
"Porrim! Stop it!"
If Kanaya was blushing some minutes ago, now her face is totally red from her cheeks to the tip of her ears. It's cute. It's really cute.
"In that case, thank you Miss Kanaya."
Oh god! She seems at the edge of fainting now. But she immediately pulls herself together and in fact starts freaking out when she hears her sister talking.
"You can call her only Kanaya, there is no need to be so formal since she knows you by h…."
"I think Miss Lalonde is waiting. What do I have to do?" Kanaya interrupted, nervous.
"Oh yes. I almost forgot." The older Maryam laughed. "Miss Lalonde…"
"Please call me Rose."
"Well Rose would like to buy this dress. But I think it needs some modifications."
"Yes of course." Kanaya examined both the dress and you. You feel uneasy by her piercing eyes but also hypnotized by their beauty. She is visualizing everything in her head, her face serious, which makes her prettier than she is already. You feel the heat rising. If she keeps staring at you like this, you won't be able to restrain yourself anymore.
"Okay, can you move in the back of the room in the studio? We will do what is necessary there."
You nod and do as you were told, relieve to break eye contact with her but sad also. When you arrive at the door you can hear the sisters talking in French behind you. You listen to them, curious though.
"Alors ça pour une surprise c'est une surprise!" It is Porrim who talks first. "Et en plus elle est entrée ici parce qu'elle a vu CETTE robe et veut acheter CETTE robe! Bravo Kanaya! Tu es la meilleure!"
"Porrim s'il te plait. Je n'arrive toujours pas à croire qu'elle soit dans notre boutique. Alors ne rajoute pas le fait qu'elle a choisi la robe dont elle a été le modèle."
"Allez! Ça veut dire que tu la connais assez pour savoir ce qu'elle aime ou n'aime pas. C'est le signe du destin! Peut-être que tu devrais l'inviter à diner."
"Non Porrim ne commence pas. Je vais entrer dans cette salle, faire ce que j'ai à faire et point final." Kanaya is blushing now. However Porrim doesn't reply. She just shrugs.
What is going on? Maybe you should enter the room, before they think you are eavesdropping, which is what you are doing right now in fact, even if you understand nothing at all! Eventually you open the door. Saying the room is a mess is an understatement. There are clothes, fabric and patterns everywhere. You wonder how they can work here.
"Oh sorry for the mess. We finished a huge order yesterday. We didn't have time to clean the room." Kanaya informs you. She has just entered the studio as well and stands behind you, the dress in her arms. "You can change in the fitting room over there, while I'm trying to clean a little."
You nod and take the dress. On your way, you notice a copy of your book on a table. You can't suppress a smile. In the fitting room you close the curtains and commence undressing. You take a look at the dress one last time. You don't know why, but you feel like this dress was made for you. Everything is to your linking, the color, the details, and the contrast… You put it up. Surprisingly, minus some details, the dress fits perfectly. See? You were right; this dress is made for you. You leave the fitting room to join Kanaya. The latter is waiting for you ready. However, it seems she was not prepared to see you in the dress as she is now staring at you, cheeks flushed and mouth opened…Oh my…is she drooling?
"Kanaya are you alright?" You demand, amused.
She jumps. Realizing what just happened, she turns to hide her face, even if it was too late. She inhales and exhales deeply in attempts to calm her beating heart. "Magnifique" She whispers. You hear what she said and you genuinely blush. She eventually gets hold of herself (not without difficulties) and turns back to face you again, smiling.
"Sorry for the interruption." Kanaya apologizes. "Come to the center of the room so we may begin. I'll see what needs to be modified. It may take me a few hours to do all the alterations afterward. So you can leave after I check everything. I'll deliver the dress to you when it's finished."
You obey. She comes closer to you and examines the dress. She stays silent and you do as well. You don't dare to speak fear to break her concentration.
"The dress is a little too long."
She kneels before you and takes the hem of the dress and lets her magic operate. You watch her, bewitched by the scene. Her movements are precise and simple. She works with care like she manipulates crystal. You stay silent, scared to disturb her. But as time passes, Kanaya is still not done and you get worried.
"Will the dress be ready for tonight?" You ask.
"Of course, why?" She answers, still focused on the dress.
"Well you are taking a lot of time…"
"Oh no don't worry. It will be ready for tonight. I promise." She smiles. Oh god! Her smile.
"If it is not too inappropriate, is there any particular event tonight you have to attend." She continues.
"A dinner at the Opera restaurant of the Palais Garnier."
"Oh nice. It is my duty then to make the most beautiful dress that will make the others jealous."
You both laugh and continue to talk about anything that comes to your mind. As the conversation goes on, you feel more relaxed and start enjoying your time with Kanaya, who is still adjusting the dress. You learn that she really wanted to come to your autograph session, but the huge order she had to finish with her sister that same day stopped her from doing so. She has all your books and knows them by heart! So you end up talking with her about your next book you are writing right now. She gives you some ideas and her opinion. Surprisingly, her ideas are good, really good, and are coherent with your line of thoughts. She is a gem. You have no other words to describe her. It has been a while since you enjoyed a conversation with someone who is not your manager or your family (even if sometimes your brother Dave can make you crazy with all his so called irony and stuff). You want to keep talking with her, to know her more. But sadly, she eventually finishes with the dress, and you find yourself in the fitting room again to change back in your normal clothes. You sighed. You are tempted to ask for her phone number to keep in touch with her. But what is the point? She lives in Paris; you live in New York. It will never work right? Okay stop lying to yourself; distance is not a problem anymore today when you only want to talk with someone. No, you are only just scared that she refuses. She may be a fan of yours, but she can interpret you invitation in the wrong way, gets scared and decides to never talk with you again. You can't accept that. You groan in frustration. You know it is really cliché, but if you end up doing something stupid, it is preferable that you do nothing at all.
Fully dressed, you finally leave the fitting room. Porrim is at the door of the studio, talking with Kanaya. Both sisters notice you and smile. You smile as well.
"So…" You look in your bag for your wallet. "How much does the dress cost?"
"Well since Kanaya created it, she will decide." Porrim grins.
"Free." Kanaya simply says.
You almost drop your bag and stare at Kanaya "Wh…what?"
"It's free, it's a gift for you."
"No no. I can't accept that, I…"
"Please I insist. You are alright with it Porrim, aren't you?"
"You decide. Everything is fine with me."
"No really. I will feel bad if I accept the dress like that." You state in disbelief.
"And I will feel bad if you don't accept it." Kanaya counterattacks. Sweet move, it is really effective.
You are speechless. You try to find a good reason to pay for the dress, but the smile on Kanaya's face is really distracting and persuasive. Your will is crumbling in tiny pieces. You need to react fast. Wait! You notice your book on the desk. You smirk. You finally have an idea.
"Okay I'll take it. But…" You walk toward the desk and take the book, surprising Kanaya and Porrim. "Let me at least sign this book for you."
Kanaya's eyes widen. She is speechless. Her sister just laughs. You come closer to them while writing in the book. "To my favorite fan, Kanaya Maryam. Rose Lalonde." You close the book and hand it to Kanaya. She takes it with trembling hands.
"Thank you!" She exclaimed, tears of joy in her eyes.
"You're welcome. Now I think I need to go back to my hotel."
"Which hotel are you staying in?" Porrim asks. "So we can deliver the dress to you tonight."
"Le Concorde." You reply.
"Oh good. It is not too far away from here."
"Great. In that case…" You hesitate. "Can you tell me where the hotel is? I must admit that I was lost when I found your shop." You blush.
But Kanaya and Porrim only smile.
"Don't worry. Paris is a real labyrinth, even for us." Kanaya informs.
Eventually you leave the shop not without regrets as you bid Kanaya good-bye. You look at her one last time. You are still torn between asking for her number and doing nothing and just forgetting. Of course you know that the last choice is impossible for you. How can you forget the perfect woman? But it is Porrim who decides for you as she hands you a piece of paper with a phone number on it. You look at her.
"Kanaya's number." She whispers so her sister can't hear her. "But don't tell her I gave it to you." She winks at you.
You like this woman.
Finally, after Porrim gave you the directions, you go back to your hotel, with a huge grin on your face.
-X-
"WHAT?" You shout.
"I'm sorry Rose, but I just learned the news a moment ago." Aranea Serket apologizes. Aranea has been your manager since the beginning of your career. She is the best manager any writer or musician could have. Attentive she knows when you need some time alone and when you need some support. She is your confident and best friend. But she is still also human and as a human she can miss some tiny details that are not so tiny in fact. Like today she forgot to tell you that you need a date for the dinner of tonight!
"Wait! How come you didn't know about this date thing before?"
"Well before today, Calliborn English was not invited to this dinner. When he saw your name on the list, he gave this idea of bringing a date tonight."
You groan. Calliborn English again. You swear you will end his life with your bare hands. Son of Lord English, he is the CEO of the worldwide SBURB TV channel. It happened that he and you had the same mentor, Doc Scratch. However the latter had a clear preference for you, and you think it is one of the main reasons why Calliborn hates you…or maybe because your sister is dating his. Anyway this guy hates you and does everything he can to let you know it. You sigh.
"Then I just have to go without a date."
"I don't think it is a good idea." Aranea says, frowning.
"Why?"
"If Calliborn is behind all of this, he will use the situation to his advantage. He may find a way to ridicule you by coming alone. It is preferable that you come with someone, at least a friend. What about John?"
"Impossible, he is in Japan for a big contract. He may be able to open a subsidiary of his bakery there." You answer. "And Calliborn knows I prefer women. If I come with a man, even as a friend, who knows what he can do."
"Jade?"
"Too far away from France. Even if she takes a jet, she won't be able to make it in time. Why not ditching the party then?" You suggest.
"It will be worse. You may pretend that you are sick or something else, but Calliborn knows you all too well to be fooled. He will call you a coward and will make sure that everyone knows about it."
"And to say that he is my brother-in-law." You sigh.
"SOON TO BE brother-in-law."
"It's only a matter of time before Roxy proposes." You laugh. "And what about you?" You smirk.
Aranea stares at you and furiously blushes. "Well…"
Suddenly the connecting door between your bedroom and Aranea's flies open. Yours eyes widen as you see the last person you expect to be here.
"Peixes?" You raise an eyebrow.
"Lalonde."
"Aranea you never told me that Meenah was with you." You grin. You look at your manager, who is readjusting her glasses. She always does that when she is really nervous. Your smile widens.
"Well..." She pauses. "Meenah just arrived this morning. According to her, the fact that I'm in Paris without her is unacceptable and so she took the first plane to arrive here"
"So really sorry Lalonde but my Aranea is off limits!" Meenah puts her arms around her girlfriend's waist in a protective way and acts like a guardian dog protecting her mistress. You laugh. They are so cute together. However it doesn't solve the problem you are currently facing. You need a date. A woman would be preferable, since everyone knows you came out last year. But you are pretty sure that Calliborn is waiting for this to happen to strike afterwards. The best solution would be… You grin. That's it!
"Okay I'm getting worried. Lalonde is smiling like an idiot. She's gone insane." Meenah says.
You don't listen to her as you take your phone and dial a particular number that you immediately entered in your phone when you got it on a piece of paper. You know it's bold. You just met her this morning. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. You wait, the stress starting to rise, but you try your best to stay as impassive as possible.
"Hello" Oh god her voice. You can't get tired of hearing her voice.
"Hello Kanaya." You simply say.
"Rose?!" You smirk. She didn't expect this. "How did you get…" A pause. "Porrim!"
You can hear said sister laughing on the other end of the line and can't suppress a small laugh either. You wait for Kanaya to speak again.
"Sorry for that." She quickly says. The tone of her voice lets you guess that she is tensed. After all, she didn't except you to call her on her personal phone "So..." She stammers. "If you are calling for the dress I..."
"I'm not calling for the dress." You interrupt her. "I was wondering if you were free tonight."
She chokes. "Er yes…why?"
" Well I need a date for tonight and…" You hear a muffled sound and then nothing. "Kanaya?"
Instead you hear Porrim talking. "Kanaya! Est-ce que ça va?"
"Oui…Oui… juste un peu sous le choc" Kanaya replies.
You hear them talking, understanding nothing (Maybe it is time for you to start learning French) Hence you patiently wait for someone to take the phone. It is Porrim who answers.
"Sorry Rose. We put you on speaker. Kanaya doesn't feel very well." She laughs. "So you talked about a date?"
"Yes. I have a dinner tonight and I need a date. But there is something I need to tell you."
You explain your plan for tonight. The more you say the more you can picture in your head Porrim's smile. Because you are pretty sure that she likes your plan as much as Meenah who is staring at you with the biggest grin on her face. Finally you finish your explanation and wait for an answer.
"Is it a challenge Lalonde?" Porrim asks, eventually.
"Maybe." You chuckle. "So Kanaya do you accept to be my date tonight?"
"Well…"
"We accept the challenge!" Porrim exclaims.
"Porrim! I'm not sure…" Kanaya hesitates.
"Come on sister. Do you think that we can't do it?"
"No no but…"
You wait. And for the first time in your life, it is the longest seconds of your life. You wish that she will say yes, but you understand that she may not want to do this. What you are asking for is really unusual after all. You hear Kanaya sighing. Eventually she talks.
"Okay Rose we are in."
You smile.
-X-
You hear someone knocking at the door of your hotel room. You quickly open it.
"Rose Lalonde?"
"Yes." You reply and take a look at the man standing before you. He was short, almost the same height as you. He looks angry. You wonder why he hasn't yelled at you already, even if he has no particular reason to do so. You notice your dress in his hands. After Kanaya agreed to your plan, she told you that she won't be the one who would deliver the dress, because she needed to prepare herself for tonight.
"From Kanaya." He gives the dress to you.
"Thank you." You reply before looking in your wallet. "How much do I owe you for the travel?" You have supposed that he was forced to do the delivery since he looks really pissed. So since it is your fault in a way, you should at least do something. But his surprised expression tells you the contrary.
"No need to." He quickly replies, blushing. "I'm only helping Kanaya that's all, you don't need to pay me." He immediately leaves after saying good-bye.
You watch him leave. You smile. Kanaya has good friends. Eventually you close the door of your room and take a look at your dress. "Okay it's time to get prepared for tonight."
-X-
You are getting worried. Kanaya is late.
Ready for tonight, you left your hotel. But first you visited the Palais Garnier with Aranea (and accessorily Meenah). Saying the opera is astonishing is an understatement as you admire the sumptuousness of the ornament. You all agree that next year your will have you concert in the premises. Eventually after an hour or two you find yourself at the Opera restaurant, alone. Hopefully you arrived really early so all the guests were not here yet. But as times passes, more and more people were filling the room, and you apprehend your meeting with your worst enemy Callib…
"Oh Rose what a pleasure to see you."
"Oh Calliborn. The pleasure is mine." You force a smile. Great. The last person you wanted to see right now is in front of you, a woman by his side. You wonder how much he paid her to be here.
"Let me present you Marie De Nîmes, the presenter of Sburb news France." He smirks.
"Nice to meet you Miss Lalonde." Marie genuinely smiles. She seems not aware of Calliborn's plans.
"Nice to meet you too." You reply.
"Oh Rose." Calliborn grins. "Did you come alone?"
You stay silent. Here we go. Really you'll kill this man one day. You take a deep breath. You need to find an excuse until Kanaya arrives.
"Well…"
However a hand on your back stops you.
"Sorry for the wait darling."
That voice. You immediately turn around. You freeze, eyes widened. You stare at Kanaya, Kanaya in a perfect and fancy tuxedo. 'Oh god.'
"I need a date for tonight."
"Okay it may not be a problem, I think I have a dress that…" Kanaya starts.
"That's the thing I need to tell you about. I need you to wear a tuxedo."
"A tuxedo?"
"Yes."
"You want me…to…act like a man?" She hesitates, quite unsure, and you think a little bit disappointed.
"No no don't worry. I just want you to look both feminine and masculine so people can't figure out your gender."
"Oh I see."
"Is that a challenge Lalonde?" Porrim asks.
The Maryam sisters are genius. The tuxedo, Kanaya is wearing, is doing a good job in concealing her gender. No breasts or at least you can't see them. If someone happens to press his or her body against Kanaya's, surely this person will feel something that men usually don't have. You are pretty sure also that you will kill this same person for doing such a thing with Kanaya. Her shoulder seems larger with the tuxedo, and combined with her height, she looks more imposing. Her hair pulled back and the minimum of make-up make her more masculine than she is already with her clothes. But at the same time you can slightly discern the curves of Kanaya's hips behind her tight pants and her feminine feature. The illusion is perfect.
"Don't worry dear. You're just in time in fact." You reply.
"Who is your friend Lalonde?" Calliborn ask, unpleased.
You smirk.
"I'm Dominique Maryam. Nice to meet you."
'Neutral name? Good job Kanaya!' Your smile widens.
"Maryam? I heard this name somewhere." Marie speaks. "Are you related to the Maryam sisters who have a shop nearby?"
"They are my cousins." Kanaya smiles. "I am surprised that you know about them. They are not really famous."
"A friend of mine bought a dress made by them and I have to admit that it was magnifique."
"Then next time come to see them, I'm sure they would do something for you as well."
"And how did you meet Lalonde?" Calliborn asks, curious.
"Well…"
"I happened to meet Dominique when buying this dress at the Maryam's store in fact." You reply for her. "We talked and I invited this lovely person…" You point at Kanaya. "… To be my date for tonight." You look at Calliborn, smirking. 'Take this Calliborn!'
Before your nemesis could talk, you are informed that the dinner is ready. Everyone cheers and start walking toward the tables. You stay behind with Kanaya. Alone you speak.
"I have to admit that I'm speechless. You did a very good job. You went beyond my expectations."
"Porrim was quite excited to do this, thank her." Kanaya simply replies. But the smile on her face is telling that she enjoys this act. "So if I am not wrong. You wanted me to hide my gender because of this Calliborn."
"Exactly. I'm quite surprised that you figured it out."
"Well Calliborn is pretty famous even in France. And I learned that you are not getting along."
"Indeed. He brought up this idea of a date so he can humiliate me I think by commenting on the choice of my date. So to piss him off, I imagined this plan. If he can't discern your gender he can't say anything!"
Kanaya laughs. "Indeed, it is really clever."
"Thanks for helping me though. We only met this morning. You were not forced to help me."
"What kind of fan would I be if I refused to help Rose Lalonde? "
"Yes." You whisper. "A fan." You keep smiling, but it dawns on you that for her you're just her idol, that's all. She'll do anything for you because she admires you. You have hoped that she did it because of something else. However Kanaya seems to notice your change in mood.
"Is everything alright Rose?" She looks worried.
"Yes don't worry."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes really."
"Then we should meet the others, they must be waiting for us to start eating. Let's not starve them."
You both laugh. Suddenly she offers her arm and you take it.
"How chivalrous."
"It is my duty to accompany such a lovely lady as you to the dinner table."
When you arrive all the seats were taken, except two. You sit facing Calliborn. 'Great…" Fortunately, the plates arrive just after. The dinner was relatively calm with everyone enjoying the food. You have to admit the French gastronomy is still one of the best. When it is time for desert, people start talking again with enthusiasm about the dinner and other trivialities.
"So Dominique." Calliborn stares at Kanaya, still trying to figure out her gender. "What can you tell us about yourself?"
You frown. He doesn't give up easily. You look discreetly at Kanaya to warn her. But she only smiles at you, and gently strokes your hand. This action didn't go unnoticed. You genuinely blush, not expecting this from Kanaya, while Calliborn is glaring at both of you, furious.
"I'm not really special, M. English. I'm only a mere accountant who sometimes helps her cousins with their work."
"You can sew?" Marie asks fascinated.
"Yes, it is a hobby."
You listen to the conversation, quite astonished by Kanaya's oratory. It was clear, simple but refined at the same time, and it is not even her native language! If she can speak so smoothly in English, you wonder how it is in French.
"I'll be very happy that you show me your work." Marie says with enthusiasm.
"I'm not sure. In comparison to my cousins, my work is not so impressive." Dominique replies.
"Come on, you're being modest. I'm sure that it is great."
Wait. Is it you or this Marie is hitting on Kanaya? You stare at both of them and eventually at Calliborn, who is viciously grinning. Is this Marie trying to steal your date? So this is Calliborn's plan? Oh no! You won't let him win! You gently and silently lay your hand on Kanaya's.
"Excuse me for this interruption, but I need to talk to Dominique in private."
"No problem." Marie smiles.
You both get up and go near the entrance of the restaurant.
"Thank you Rose." Kanaya sighs. "She was asking me so many questions, I was starting to run short of answers… and I think she was flirting with me."
"She was. She was trying to steal you from me. Surely it was Calliborn's idea." You groan. "I'm not so keen on coming back now. Do you care to walk a little with me outside?"
"It is not a problem? Surely people will ask for you."
"I'll warn Aranea, so she can cover for us. Prepare everything while I'm looking for her."
Kanaya nods. You then go to the toilets, because you are pretty sure she is there with… You hear a moan behind the doors. You smirk. Here she is. The moans become louder and you can hear muffled sounds. "Meenah…" "Ohh yes." "Faster."
'Should you let them finish first?'
'No'
You knock at the door and hear a gasp. You laugh.
"Lalonde get the fuck out!" Meenah hisses.
"I will. I only need to talk with Aranea."
"Y... Yes?" Your manager stammers.
"I'm leaving with Kanaya. Can you cover for us when you are both finished?"
"Okay."
"Happy Lalonde? Leave us alone!" Meenah shouts.
You leave, not without hearing Aranea screaming. You chuckle. You go back to the entrance where Kanaya is waiting for you, unexpectedly pale.
"Are you alright Kanaya?" You worry.
She jumps and looks at you, eyes widen. But she quickly composes herself, and only smiles.
"Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking that's all."
You are not convinced. You learned to read people well and Kanaya's eyes are telling you that something is bothering her. But you know when it is better to not press on the matter.
"Then let's go."
She nods. Like a true gentleman, she takes your coat to put it on you. You thank her, while she is preparing herself and you both leave the restaurant.
"So where do you want to go?" Kanaya asks you.
"I don't know. I feel like walking, any place you want to show me."
"Les Champs-Elysées?"
"Okay."
Kanaya assures you that the walk was not very long. You don't mind, because that means you will have more time with her. You talk. You enjoy talking with her. She is not like the other people who waffle endlessly. She is attentive and patiently listens to you before talking. You like her more with each passing second. You learn that she lost her parents when she was 12. Since then she has been living with her sister Porrim. She majored in fashion design just like her sister so they could open their shop together. They were not famous, but they have regular customers. You talk about your family too. You inform her that you also lost your parents when you were young and that you live with your siblings: Dirk your big brother, teacher at MIT in robotics, Roxy your big sister, a system security officer and Calliope English's girlfriend ("Yes Calliborn's sister") and finally Dave your twin brother, movie director. Kanaya stares at you, mouth opened.
"Your family is really incredible compared to mine." Kanaya forces a smile.
"Don't be ridiculous, your sister and you are incredible too."
"I didn't see you as someone who makes compliments sso easily Rose."
"I usually don't, it is only the truth, that's all."
She blushes. You take her hand to caress it.
"I mean it Kanaya."
She doesn't reply. You can see her inner turmoil in her eyes. Something is wrong. You hope it is not because of what you said.
-X-
"It's beautiful!" You say in awe.
"Isn't it?"
You eventually arrived at the Champs-Elysées near to l'Arc de Triomphe. You remembered a documentary about Paris on the TV, but the images of the avenue and the monument were totally nothing compared to what you are looking at right now.
"What a pity you weren't here for Christmas. You would have seen the Christmas market and all the decorations." Kanaya informs.
You looked at Kanaya and you freeze.
In all your life, you never believed in love at first sight, the stars and all of this stuff. It is totally cliché, and you hate that. For you it is only some illusions people created to cope with their thirst for cheesy romance. But Kanaya makes you doubt and prove you that you are wrong. Here she is, illuminated by the light of l'Arc de Triomphe behind her. You think that she is the most beautiful creature you have ever seen. You feel your heart beating hard in your chest. You have met this woman only this morning, and it is like you have known her for ages. Yes you are falling for her, hard.
"Is everything alright Rose?"
"Kanaya…"
"Yes?"
"You are perfect."
She blushes. You continue.
"I only met you this morning, but it's like…" You take her hands.
"We have known each other since we were young?" She continues.
"Yes."
"Well I need to tell you something. The dress that you are wearing and that I have created…"
"Yes?"
"You were my source of inspiration."
"What?"
"This dress is based on you. I thought about you when I created this dress. About what you like, what you hate."
"That's why I love this dress so much then. Good job Kanaya."
"Thanks. So, I think it proves that I know you well then." She jokes. But you know better. She is only half joking. You can feel this glimmer of hope behind her words.
"Indeed. You know me well."
You both stare at each other silent. And you don't know how, but you find yourself kissing Kanaya the second after. You thought she would be shocked and push you away. But on the contrary she deepened the kiss. Oh god! It feels so good.
After this kiss, everything was a blur. However, you remembered calling a taxi to go to your hotel. You tried to restrain yourself in the car, because you didn't want to make a scene. But it was Kanaya who made the first move by kissing you, quite hard. Hopefully she was still wearing the tuxedo, so for the driver you were only a normal couple enjoying yourselves. After quickly paying the taxi driver, you entered the hotel, took the elevator (not without small stops in the way for more kissing and ass grabbing) to eventually stop in front of your hotel room. You desperately tried to find your key card in your bag, but Kanaya was doing a good job in making the task difficult. She was behind you, her arms around your waist, kissing and nibbling the back of your neck. Suddenly she kissed you at this particular spot, you moan and your legs became like jelly. Fortunately she stopped you from falling and whispered in your ear.
"Interesting."
You rested your head on the door, moaning. It was almost impossible for you to keep looking for this damned key card, as Kanaya is attacking this new spot she discovered. Her hands were wandering all along your body. You were pretty sure that you would do it in the corridor, when your hand touched a flat object in your bag. The keycard! You immediately took it and tried to insert it in the door. But because of Kanaya's ministration, your hand was trembling, which made you miss the hole. It was Kanaya who did it for you by taking the card. She opened the door and in one motion, you found yourself in the room, tackled against the wall. The door was closed. Kanaya was against you, one of her legs between yours, pushing hard, which elicited a moan from you. You felt the heat rising up. God, Kanaya was good at this! But suddenly, she stopped and looked at you, smirking.
"Before continuing, I think I need a shower to remove all this gel in my hair."
"O…okay" You said out of breath.
So that's why you are now sitting on your bed, really horny and waiting for Kanaya to finish. You can still feel the warmth of her hands and lips on her heated body. 'Gosh, can't she be faster?' Why didn't you say no? You are pretty sure that she did it to tease you. It works, because now you are really frustrated and want nothing but ravishing this goddess who is in your bathroom. Bathroom. Suddenly it dawns on you that if she is taking a shower, she must be naked.
Naked.
No clothes.
Wet tanned smooth skin.
Oh god.
You quickly check your nose. Good no bleeding. You finally stare at the bathroom door. 'What are you waiting for Lalonde? The nirvana is waiting for you on the other side of this door!' You get up, undress and open the door of this bathroom. In front of you, Kanaya is there, under the shower, naked. You close the door, the sound catching Kanaya's attention. She turns.
"R... Ro..."
She doesn't have time to finish as you tackle her to the wall and kiss her. Hard. Immediately, you feel the hot water on your body. You don't care. On the contrary it makes you hotter than you are already. Kanaya is fast to react as she put her hands on your ass. She squeezes it, which draws a moan out of you. In an instant it is her turn to tackle you to the wall and lift you. Automatically, your legs come to rest around Kanaya's waist. It feels good, really good and surprisingly it feels right. You move your head to let her have better access to your neck. Her kisses are light but they give you a shiver each time they touch your heated skin. She takes her time, enjoying her ministration while massaging your thighs. You let a moan escape. She smiles. You look at her. Her eyes were dark, full of lust. You feel your lips on hers again. You can't wait anymore. You need this woman right now! So you manage to say a weak "Bed" between the kisses. She hears it and stops the shower.
Again, you don't remember well how you arrived on the bed as Kanaya's touches and kisses were driving you mad. You had a few adventures in your life, but all of them weren't comparable to what you are experiencing right now. The caresses, her hot breathe on your body and her fingers! Oh god her fingers. You wonder if it is because she is a seamstress, but they were doing miracles. After a few hours (well you're not really sure anymore), you both fell on the bed, exhausted. Automatically, Kanaya takes you in her arms, her head resting in the crook of your neck. You were falling asleep, when you hear her whispering.
"Je t'aime."
You don't need to know French, to understand what she had said. You smile and hug her tighter. You don't know why, but you deeply believe in those three words she said, maybe because you feel the same. Yes you do love her. You admit it, it is love at first sight.
-X-
When you wake up the morning after, you don't feel the presence you are expecting to be next to you. No. On the contrary there was nothing.
"Kanaya?"
You finally notice the small piece of paper. You take it and you freeze.
"I'm really sorry Rose. But I think we made a mistake last night. Please don't try to contact me. It's better for both of us to forget each other."
You don't move. You can't believe it. No that's impossible. You learned to read into people. And you are totally sure that last night was not a mistake. She loves you! She… You eventually notice your wet hand, and your tears falling. The last time you cried was when you lost your parents. This time you cry because you are sure that you lost the only person, whose loves matters to you.
THE END...
No I'm kidding XD There is a chapter 2, but I didn't write it yet. I'll do my best if I see that people are interested :))