Two: Battle of the Hexes.
Phoebe had dates.
She had lots and lots of dates that she needed- wanted -to go on, had to get ready for, and she did not have time to be scrounging through dusty boxes and old magical junk wearing protective gloves. Especially since Piper had abandoned her and Paige was off somewhere chasing a new charge and she was left on her own in this creepy room and, really, it just generally sucked. It smelled weird and she was thinking about Billie again and she should have been at work.
She was shifting blindly through another cardboard box when something latched onto her finger and she yanked her hand out, a noise escaping her mouth. She waved her arm frantically, a tiny pair of wooden teeth attatched to her pinky finger. She sighed when she saw it wasn't technically alive and shook it off onto the floor. It still gave her the willies. The teeth clattered and bounced around of their own accord, clicking over dusty floors. Phoebe watched them go and decided they wouldn't hurt anyone- and she wasn't going to touch them.
She sighed again, more for effect than anything else, and returned to shifting through boxes. They were mostly filled with old crap the spells had worn off of years ago, and while she could see how they'd been dangerous at the time they were just junk now. Interesting junk, but junk nonetheless. And junk that she had to shift through by herself, because her lazy, good for nothing, lead-their-own-lives sisters were off somewhere-
The doors opened on the other side of the room and Phoebe heard tenative steps falter into the room. She caught sight of a young blonde girl wearing a white patterned tank top and jeans. She looked fantastic, as always.
"Phoebe?" Billie called out as the brunette appeared from behind some shelves, dust smeared on her cheek and her hair in adorable disarray. She was wearing a loose white top and looked gorgeous. Billie smiled, just a little. "Hey, what can I do?" She asked. Phoebe waved her hand in the direction of the boxes and shelves and crates, exasperation clear on her face.
"You can help me go through all this crap!" She said. Billie, crossing the aisle that seperated them, let her eyes wander over the large room.
"What is all this stuff?" She asked, kind of impressed and kind of intimidated. Her hands went into her back pockets as she studied the giant room, leaning back on her heels.
"Just magical stuff the government didn't understand." Phoebe followed Billie's gaze and then turned back to the younger girl. "You want to help me find some teeth?" She asked hopefully. Billie looked over and raised her eyebrows. She noticed the dust on the older girl's forehead and tilted her own head a little.
"You got a little something..." She said, stretching her fingers out to rub away the dust on the girl's face. Phoebe's eyes lifted to the blonde's face and then she couldn't take them off. Her thoughts ran together, Billie's fingertips brushing away marks on her skin and creating their own, invisible, burns. Yep, that would be the crush.
Finally, the blonde dropped her now dusty fingers and met Phoebe's dark eyes. "There." She said cheerily as Phoebe looked up at her with dark eyes that told feelings and stories that Billie couldn't really understand . She understood the odd feeling in her stomach though, and the way it twisted whenever Phoebe looked at her like that. She scrunched her eyebrows a little and started to speak, when Phoebe took a step back and turned away.
"Thanks, so, teeth." She said, facing away from the girl. "They were dentures, kinda old." Billie watched the girl head off in the other direction. Her blonde hair fell across her face and her fingers trembled by her side. She was getting in too deep. This was crazy.
IOIOI
Billie plopped another box down on the metal table and quickly cut through the tape at the top with nimble fingers and a sharp knife, a little more viciously than maybe she should have. Phoebe stood on the other side of the metal bars, a phone glued to her ear and a fake laugh on her lips every other second. Billie was jealous, as she had finally admitted to herself after listening to Phoebe chat with guy after guy. She was totally jealous and she totally didn't have any reason to be. Well, she did, obviously, but she shouldn't have. She had been carrying on a one-sided conversation for the past ten minutes because she had grown so tired of listening to Phoebe talk about the same things over and over. She spoke loud, kept the jealousy to herself, and tried not to let her eyes linger on the older girl too long. Jealous? Pshh, she would get over it.
She pulled a pair of dusty- everything was dusty in there- old sunglasses and held them before her eyes.
"Wow. These are so Greta Garbo." She commented, hoping to get Phoebe's attention. She slid them onto her face. "Hey, now there's a woman who didn't need a man to make her feel complete." Okay, so maybe her insecurities were rising to the top kind of obviously. Women didn't need men, anyway. Especially not women who wanted other women. But that didn't mean that Billie was...she was tired of that line of thought because it ran across her brain all the time, so she halted it.
Phoebe glanced up from the other side of the fencing at the sound of Billie's voice, a box open before her and the phone pressed against her ear. She looked at Billie without seeing her, then noticed what the other girl was wearing.
"Hey, Billie, those are evidence, okay? Not to mention somebody probably died in them." Phoebe warned her, the phone pulled back from her mouth. She put it closer. "Hello." Her gaze lost focus as she tuned into whateveter the guy on the other line was saying. "No, I said I'm dying to see you. It just must be a really bad connection." Phoebe explained, looking back up at Billie who was returning the glasses to the box. The blonde girl walked over to the shelf and pulled off a tiny girdle. Phoebe glanced back down before Billie could catch her staring. It had been that way all afternoon and Phoebe was enjoying it, to be honest. Being around the girl made her relaxed, happier. Explain that.
"Now, this is the kind of bondage men want us in? I don't even know why you bother hooking up." Oh, smooth Jenkins. "After seeing this guy in class this morning, I am so sure women should be on top." Billie held out the soft, white girdle before her. She thought she was being pretty suave, using extreme feminism to get rid of her jealousy. And it seemed to be working, anyway.
"Do you mind?" Phoebe asked, the "on top" comment throwing her mind totally into the gutter. Bad thoughts that made her clutch the phone closer.
"I'm sorry. I meant that metaphorically." Billie corrected, meeting Phoebe's eyes as she walked away from the shelf and back to the box. Phoebe gestured to the phone.
"Well, I'm speaking to a guy, and he means meta--physically." She complained. Billie, back at her box and looking down into it, spoke without really thinking about the words.
"Yeah, see, that's the thing. Men keep using their little heads to do all the thinking for them." She kept shifting through the box, ignoring Phoebe's steady gaze as she ranted on. She lifted a skull out of the box and held it up without really seeing it. "You know, this whole ying/yang thing, it's a complete hoax. Look at this lame gig." She glanced up and gestured around the warehouse with the skull in her hand. "Once again, the male establishment is using women's awesome skills for their busywork." Phoebe rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the phone.
"You know what? I got to go, okay? Yeah, I can't wait to see you, too. Sunday. All right. Thanks. Bye." Phoebe shut the phone and slid it into her back pocket. Lifting her box, she joined Billie on the metal table. The carboard box landed beside it's match with a thump and Phoebe looked up at Billie accusingly. "Hey! Can we lay off the male bashing, please?" Phoebe asked. Billie, a little ashamed and a little scared that Phoebe was picking up on too much, turned and stepped away from the other girl. She put her hand among the items on the shelf and tried to ignore Phoebe's eyes on her back- tried to ignore Phoebe they way she had been all afternoon. If she thought about her too much, it turned scary. She didn't like scary.
"Sorry. I've just had one too many lame dates lately." Billie apologized off-handedly, rifling through the things. "I don't understand. Everyone I go out with is so immature and childish." Nothing like you. She couldn't help but think. "Does that ever change? Do they ever grow up?" She asked quietly, looking back at the brunette. Phoebe met her eyes for a second before looking back down into her box. Billie watched the side of her face for a moment before looking away.
"Well, if I ever get out of here, I'll let you know." Phoebe answered vaguely, examining something in her box. She didn't want to help Billie find a guy. Kind of the opposite, actually. The blonde girl, still at the shelf, pulled out a shiny, golden belt and examined it, fascinated.
"Hey! Check this thing out." She said, stepping back toward Phoebe with the belt in her hand. She started to wrap it around her slim waist, the two halves coming together as Phoebe's eyes turned toward her.
"No, no." Phoebe tried to stop her hurridly, stepping toward the girl frantically. "No!" She spoke too late, and Billie closed the clasp around her waist. A golden light flashed around the blonde girl and immediately her outfit, her hair, changed, transforming her into a sleek, Amazon-looking warrior. Phoebe's hands dropped back down to her waist.
"Uhhh...what just happened?" Billie looked down at her new clothes, then up at the brunette girl a few feet away.
"We're screwed. That's what happened." Phoebe answered. She put her hand to her forehead and sighed as Billie pulled at the belt around her waist.
"Phoebe, I can't get this off." The blonde said frantically. Phoebe looked up to see Billie pushing and pulling at the metal. "Phoebe?" Billie asked helplessly, looking down at the belt. "A little help?" Phoebe made a face that said it was useless, but she came closer anyway.
"Okay, hold on." The brunette said, reaching out and pulling Billie's hands away from the accessory. She put the blonde's hands out to the side where Billie held them out, and then placed her own hands onto the gold belt. Her fingertips rested against the girl's bare stomach and Billie tensed her muscles against the feel. It was instinct. Phoebe pulled once, accidentally tugging the blonde toward her. The belt didn't budge, but Billie stumbled a little, pressing into Phoebe. Suddenly, they found themselves inches apart, face to face. Phoebe's hand stayed on the belt, keeping Billie close without realizing it. The blonde stopped breathing and Phoebe could hear her own heart beat against her chest.
They stayed like for a few long moments, face to face and so, so close it felt like they were already there- wherever there was. Phoebe stepped away first, taking Billie's breath and her stomach with her. Every part of her body felt like it was going in slow motion, blood pumping quicker and quicker until everything caught up. Phoebe pulled her hands off of Billie and spoke first, as well. Billie decided she wasn't very good at it. Whatever it was.
"Not coming off." Was all she said, but something had shifted and they could both tell. "We better go." She said, turning around and reaching for her purse. Billie finally remembered to move.
IOIOI
The sun was shining soft and bright outside onto the crowded sidewalk they hurried down. Whistles and catcalls chased them down the cement and Phoebe spoke to herself, annoyed. Billie tried to keep up, yanking at the belt on her waist and thinking about how cute Phoebe was when she muttered to herself and got angry. The way her eyebrows scrunched and her brown eyes grew brighter with fury. Billie looked up to watch the older girl's face as she muttered to herself.
"This is unbelievable. Piper takes the car. Paige orbs. Does anyone stop and think that Phoebe can't orb? No, of course not. Why? Because it's all about them." Phoebe could feel Billie's eyes on her and the other girl interrupted, forcing a tiny smile off her face.
"Ok, hi. Yeah. I can't get this thing off." Billie interjected. Phoebe turned toward the college student hurrying beside her, and was taken aback again when she saw what the blonde was wearing. It never failed to surprise her and then make her slightly uncomfortable. There was a lot of skin, some that she had seen before, a lot that she hadn't. She was kind of warm-uncomfortable. Bilile made her uncomfortable.
"Yeah. Don't even bother. It's gonna take a spell or a potion or some kind of emotional ephiphany." Phoebe waved the blonde off as they continued down the sidewalk.
"That blows." Billie sighed and glanced down at the belt. More male eyes followed them down the street and whistles abounded. She looked back to Phoebe. "Are you sure?"
"Hello! Voice of experience. I've been turned into a mermaid, a mummy, a genie. Okay? Trust me. I know these things." Phoebe was still ranting as they passed a group of construction workers. The men called out and Billie groaned in frustration. Phoebe blew them off.
"I can't believe this. I had to put the belt on. I feel so stupid." She mumbled to herself, still staring down at the piece of golden metal wrapped around her waist. Phoebe glanced back to where Billie had fallen behind and moved closer to the embarrassed girl. Her blonde hair was pulled away from her face and the dreads swung around her neck. She was young, Phoebe realized again. And Phoebe was also supposed to be teaching her.
"It's okay." She reassured Billie. "Just think of it as initiation. It happens to the best of us." She continued, walking forward again, Billie following her.
"So it's not that bad?" The girl asked hopefully, a few steps from Phoebe.
"Oh no. It's bad. It's very, very bad." Phoebe repeated, using her small hands for emphasis. They danced before her and Billie watched them surreptiously. Stepping down from the curb, more voices- still male -called out from around them as they crossed the street. Billie glared, close to hysterics or at least a couple tears now.
"Hey! Super-hero babe! Over here!" Somebody yelled, and Billie groaned.
"Please, someone vanquish me now." She said, as they walked along a crosswalk. Phoebe reached back and placed a comforting hand on the small of her back. Literally, the small of her back, because there was no material covering it and Phoebe could feel the small, soft hairs form goosebumps along the girl's skin when she touched her. She moved her forward gently, not stopping to think about what that meant.
"Ok, we got to get you out of here." They stepped back onto the curb and Phoebe threw out her hand. "Taxi!" She yelled. One squealed up almost instantly, probably due to Billie's outfit. Phoebe let her hand rest on Billie's skin until she had to step away. The blonde reached out to open the door, only to have it come off in her hand. She held it a few feet off the ground effortlessly, her face a picture of shock. Phoebe gasped.
"What the hell did you do to my cab?" The driver asked, turning around in his seat with a confused look on his face.
"Put it back, put it back. Put it back." Phoebe told her hurridly and Billie pressed it back against the taxi. "Let's go." Phoebe took her arm and pulled her away from the scene. People were gathering around the taxi that was now missing a door. They disappeared into the crowd.
The door fell off the car and clanged to ground.
IOIOI
"Hippolyta's belt, huh?" Phoebe said, flipping through the Book of Shadows, but not seeing much.
"Yep. Crazy, feminist goddess and her toy." Billie was leaning over her shoulder, her stomach almost brushing Phoebe's back, and the older girl found it hard to think. Finally, she grew fed up with the sweet scent of Billie's perfume and she moved away. They had been up there for a few minutes, just flipping through the book for spells or info, but Billie's nearness had made her- and there was that word again -uncomfortable.
Billie watched Phoebe walk away, a little hurt that girl was obviously uncomfortable around her. Maybe because she was new? She opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it again. Now wasn't the time. She turned back to the book.
Across the room, Phoebe looked up from the powders and potions laid before her. She watched Billie in her super hero outfit, looking adorable and kind of dangerous, flipping through the Books of Shadows. She was kind of nervous around the blonde, considering the freak out she'd had when Piper tried to blow up the belt. She knew it was only a matter of time before Billie began to give into the belt's will. The other girl glanced up, apparently feeling Phoebe's eyes on her, and the brunette looked down quickly. Billie's eyes lingered on her face.
An awkward silence descended upon the room.
"Hey, Phoebe?" Billie interrupted it, because something inside her felt brave and in control all of the sudden. "Do you like me?" Phoebe dropped one of the potions to the floor and it exploded beneath her feet, sending up a wave of grey smoke and clouding her. A look of fear washed over Billie's face, until Phoebe stepped back, coughing, a second later. "Phoebe?" Billie asked, moving closer.
"Lucky that wasn't finished." Phoebe coughed, waving smoke away from her face. Billie was by her side, concerned and moving her toward the couch. She sat the brunette down and quickly took a spot beside her.
"Are you okay?" Billie asked and Phoebe nodded, still a little shocked. Billie waited for a moment, feeling the quiet seep back between them. "So?" She prodded. "Do you like me?" Again with that unnatural confidence.
Phoebe was choking on her words, trying not to give into the paranoia that told her Billie was asking her a much harder question than it sounded. She just looked away from the girl's curious blue eyes and down to the floor.
"What do you mean? Of course Iike you." Phoebe assured her, looking up to meet her eyes. She smiled confidently and started to get up. Billie had a flash of knowing, right in her heart, right where it mattered, and she reached out with superhuman stength and speed and grabbed Phoebe's arm gently. The other girl looked down, surprised more at the speed than the action. Billie pulled the brunette down beside her and moved closer, until they were almost as near as they had been in that warehouse, with barely a heartbeat between them.
"But do you like me?" She breathed across the space, quiet and light and laden with fresh meaning.
Her courage deserted her when Phoebe edged closer.
She was looking at Phoebe's mouth, and she was filled with something like dread and leftover adrenaline, quickly backing out of it and not sure what it was in the first place. She remembered to breathe, felt goosebumps rise on her skin, knew something was coming. Saw Phoebe move even closer, tenatively. Her own fingers were trembling a little. Nothing like a first kiss. Wait, kiss?
"Found anything yet?" Billie guessed in a house full of people, they couldn't expect a moment of privacy. Phoebe pulled back so fast she might have gotten whiplash. Piper walked into the room with a few potion ingrediants in her arms, and only glanced up when Phoebe darted away from the couch. Billie was left alone, but then again she had pulled back a few feet when Piper's voice had rung out across the attic. The oldest sister frowned. "Is everything okay?" She asked. Both girls nodded.
"Yeah." Phoebe recovered quickly. "Just looking up Hippolyta." She headed toward the book again. Billie remained on the couch, watching the older girl move. Piper took her place behind the table, scattering ingrediants across it. Phoebe flipped through the book. Piper may not have felt it, but a tension was coursing so thick between Billie and Phoebe that neither could think straight.
Phoebe could feel Billie's breath on her lips, and Billie could see Phoebe's mouth moving closer. It was too soon to regret, too late to take back.
Their eyes met across the room and then broke apart.
Maybe it hadn't been anything at all.
