The next day came and went with nothing of real note, but when the night came, both Cerebella and Beatrix were unnaturally excited. When the two met up they grinned and took one another's hands."So... ready?" Beatirx asked.
"Yup! But... I was wondering about something." Cerebella replied.
"What?"
"Can we bring Harry?"
Beatrix blinked, then frowned slightly. "Well... I'm not really against bringing Harry with us, Cerebella, but if we do, it becomes less of a date and more of a family outing."
Cerebella smiled nervously. "Okay then... Well, our first family outing is an important milestone we need to cross, right?" Beatrix sighed, then nodded.
"All right, but tomorrow, we're going out to dinner. Just the two of us."
"Yeah, that's fair." Cerebella nodded. "Or we can do that tomorrow. I'm really down for either."
"Y'know... If it's okay, I'd kinda like this to be just you and me." Beatrix said bashfully, taking Cerebella's hands. Cerebella blinked, then grinned.
"Sure, Harry can spend some time with Auntie Feng. He likes spending time with her."
"Alright. But I think soon the three of us should do something." Beatrix added.
Cerebella nodded her head in affirmation. "Totally," She said softly. Giving Beatrix a quick kiss on the cheek, she turned to go and tell Harry and Feng.
"Hi, mommy. You gonna go out with mama now?" Harry asked softly. His decision had been made. Since he now had two mothers, Cerebella was mommy, while Beatrix was mama.
"Heh...That's right, buddy. Feng, look after him while I'm gone, okay?"
"No problem." Feng smiled. "Have fun!"
"We will!" Cerebella laughed as the two set out. Feng smiled down at Harry and scooped him up again.
"Well, look like it's you and me again sweetie." Feng cooed, nuzzling Harry's cheek.
Harry smiled happily. He liked spending time with his auntie Feng. Now that his mother was spending time alone with his other mother, she had more time with him. And he knew she was happy about that. He liked to see his auntie Feng happy. He smiled as she picked him up and carried him to her room, no doubt to play board games.
Meanwhile, the two women were waling through the town again, talking with one another and feeling closer than they had in a long while. Beatrix knew she had made the right choice, she and Cerebella really did work well together. And it was clear both of them were happy, so who cared?
"So, there's this really nice restaurant near the edge of town that I'd like to check out." Beatrix explained. "They have a dance floor and a balcony with a really nice view of the city."
"Yeah, that sounds great!" Cerebella said with a nod. "Let's hail a cab and go check it out!" The two women spent a few minutes waiting until a taxi came along.
When it arrived, the two got in, still talking to one another. It was clear the feelings they had for one another were getting stronger, and both of them were happy with that. As the taxi drove them, they kept talking as if they were old friends, a far cry from how they used to see one another just a few months ago. "Hey, how long has it been since you found Harry anyway?" Beatrix asked.
Cerebella blinked, then looked thoughtful, putting a finger under her chin in thought. "Huh... I think it was a month today that I found him." She realized.
Beatrix blinked in surprise, then smirked. "Wow... This has been a really eventful month, hasn't it?" She said softly. The two women fell silent for a moment. They looked over at one another, smiling, and they could just tell what the other wanted. They both leaned forward for another kiss.
Once they had finished, both blushed, still being new to this whole 'relationship' thing. But before either could say anything, they noticed that they were nearly at their destination. "Well, let's see if this place is as good as you say." Cerebella teased. "It better be worth it." The weightlifter didn't see the shocked look on Beatrix's face.
The magician looked forward, face red, and smiled softly, still thinking about the way the acrobat's lips felt against her own. Yes... Her relationship with Cerebella was a good one...When the taxi came to a stop, Cerebella paid the driver, then they stepped out onto the street, ready to begin the big first date of their lives. The first of many...
The two smiled at one another as they made their way into the restaurant, looking at the sights of the newer establishment. There was a large window looking out over the city view. The sun was still somewhat up, casting the sky in a beautiful reddish-gold.
The two women exchanged a glance. "Well, whattya think? I know how to pick a good place or what?" Cerebella chuckled and nodded her head.
"Yep. It's a nice place alright. Buuut that's just the way it looks. What's really important is their services. Let's go check it out!" They entered the building.
The atmosphere was nice. It seemed like a high-end establishment, but also not a place where people were some focused on their own self-image that you had to be an elitist to fit in. Both women knew that didn't exactly suit their styles.
Yes, it was a higher end pub that everyone could enjoy no matter their social status or preferences. The dance floor and the dining area were on opposite sides of the building. The two women decided to start by having dinner, making their way to the balcony so they could enjoy the beautiful evening weather. They grabbed a table and took a seat. "Man... Quite a view, huh? You can see the entire city from up here!" Cerebella exclaimed in delight.
"You ever think about leaving this town?" Beatrix asked off-handedly. Cerebella blinked and looked back in surprise.
"What?" She asked.
"I mean, this city is great and all, but do you ever wonder if there's more out there?" The magician replied, explaining her question.
"No..." Cerebella replied after a few moments of silence.
Beatrix nodded. "Yeah, I get it, loyalty to the Medicis and all that... But hey... I wouldn't mind seeing what's beyond this kingdom... Who knows what we'd find?"
"Yeah... It's a weird world we live in." Cerebella agreed. "There could be all sorts of crazy stuff out there... But honestly? For now, I'm pretty satisfied with what I have."
"Yeah, But maybe someday... y'know?" Beatirx remarked.
"I get it, but I'm not sure I wanna uproot Harry and start just traveling, I don't know if he's up for that." Cerebella reasoned.
Beatrix chuckled softly. "I think he'd be up for anything as long as you were there with him..." Cerebella tilted her head and Beatrix smiled softly. "Cerebella, I've never seen such a close bond between mother and son... He loves you with every fibre of his little being. It's so clear to see." The magician looked out to the city. "I...I just hope I can come close to that level of... unconditional love you two share... I'd hate to just... be a third wheel to you two..."
"Well, if he didn't care for you, I don't think he'dve let you hold him when he got scared for one thing." Cerebella replied honestly. "He really did seem attached to you, and he really seemed to warm up to you as you trained him."
"Yeah, But.. you found him." Beatrix reasoned.
Cerebella nodded her head. "Yeah... I did find him... But that doesn't mean he can't love you too, Beatrix. He's already calling you mama. That's a huge step."
Beatrix nodded her head slowly. "True... He was very quick to just... accept me... I'm amazed at just how much love that little guy has..." She said softly.
"Well, when I got to know you, I could see why." Cerebella said with a smile.
"Heh. Thanks." Beatrix said with a slight smile, rubbing the back of her head. "Same goes for you. I can see why Harry really grew attached to you."
The two women smiled at each other before finally picking up their menus. "Hmm... I like the looks of this steak..." Cerebella said with a grin.
"Yeah, the reviews always mention the steak. Though me, personally, I'm gonna go ahead and go for the seafood platter. Hey, waiter?!"
The two placed their orders and turned their attention back to one another. "So... Any book recommendations...?" Cerebella asked. "I wanna see if I can get into reading so we have more to talk about."
"...He enjoyed Hummingbird, I was kinda surprised." Beatrix answered after a few moments of thought. That did get a reaction out of Cerebella, who's eyes widened in shock.
"You read WHAT to him?!" She exclaimed.
"Hey, hold up." Beatrix said defensively. "Look, I read him the story, he didn't understand most of the words. But he got the general idea of it. In fact, he seemed to sympathize with it. ...aside from that. I... I think you'd enjoy the 'Eberron Rising from the Last War' series." Beatrix nodded. "It's a bit of a strange series focusing on a mixture of fantasy and mechanical beings that find themselves living in a world after a massive war."
"So, it's steampunk?"
"Kind of, but it leans more into the fantasy than the steampunk. It almost seems like the world they've built has always been like that."
The conversation went on like this for the entirety of their meal. Beatrix would offer various suggestions for books to read and Cerebella would listen intently. Honestly? She really liked listening to her girlfriend speak... She had such a beautiful voice... Which gave her an idea... "Hey...Trixie... It's karaoke night here. You sing at all?"
"No." Beatrix immediately replied, her face turning white somewhat, which gave Cerebella the true answer.
"Yes you do." She smirked.
"I don't." Beatrix flatly replied.
"Sure."
"Bella. I will make you regret this if you try to-" Beatrix began but was cut off when she saw Cerebella's grin, realizing she was probably encouraging Cerebella regardless of what she wanted.
She exhaled through her nose. "We'll go to my place after the date and I'll sing for you there... Just... not in public... Please..." Cerebella nodded in understanding.
"Fair enough. Oh, hey, food's here." The waiter put down their orders and politely told them to enjoy before heading off. They dug in quickly. "Aw man, that's some good meat." Cerebella said with her mouth full.
"Bella... Please don't talk with your mouth full... I don't want to see your chewed up steak." Cerebella grinned sheepishly.
"Heh. You sound like Feng."
"I really hope Harry grows up with better manners than you..." Cerebella finished her bite, then rolled her eyes.
"Oh, c'mon. We both know Harry will turn out better than either one of us."
Beatrix smiled slightly. "Yes... He's a good boy... Very well mannered... Very smart and talented... Very loving..." Cerebella chuckled softly in delight.
"You already sound like a proud mom, Trixie... You're adapting to it fast." The acrobat said warmly. Beatrix blushed slightly, but smiled nonetheless.
"I'm glad I have your approval... I really am..." She said softly. "The fact that you chose me of all people... It really does mean a lot..." Cerebella smiled.
"Hey, I was serious when I said it, and I don't think I'd take it back." Beatrix blushed slightly and rubbed the back of he neck, embarrassed.
"Well, I'm glad you did. I really like the little guy."
Cerebella chuckled softly. "Heh... Yeah... He's a likeable little guy..." She said fondly. "But hey... Right now, this is about us. So how's your seafood?"
Beatrix smiled. "Very good. I'm glad I ordered it... I love seafood..." Cerebella nodded in agreement.
"Heh... Feng makes a mean seafood linguinni. It's the best thing you ever tasted, I'm not even exaggerating."
"Huh. I'll have to try that at some point." Beatrix remarked. "Hey, how long have you two known each other?"
"Since we were kids." Cerebella replied. "As long as I can remember, we've known each other. She was always like a sister to me."
"Well, you two always did seem close." Beatrix nodded. "If you didn't look so different, I could've believed you were sisters."
Cerebella chuckled softly. "Yeah... We did a lot together when we were kids... Heh... Her moms would take me with them whenever they did something with Feng and Vitale was too... y'know... busy."
Beatrix blinked in surprise. "Moms? Plural?" She asked curiously.
"Yeah, Feng's parents are lesbians like us." Cerebella shrugged. "One mom's a super hyper ball of energy, the other's a moody gothy bat feral. Heh... Different as the night and day, but they know how to make it work..."
"...Huh." Beatrix finally said. "Didn't know that."
"Yeah, it seems like they wouldn't get along, but they do. In fact, they get along great." Cerebella chuckled. "Opposites attract I guess."
"Yeah, I guess they do." Beatirx smiled looking over at Cerebella.
They finished their meal in a content silence, looking up at one another periodically and smiling warmly. The date was going swimmingly so far. When their food was finished, they called the waiter over for the cheque. "This one's on me, Trixie. I'll be paying for the dancing too." Cerebella said with a grin. Beatrix nodded and allowed it. After paying, the pair rose to their feet, holding one another's hand and smiling brightly. They looked each other in the eyes, then exchanged a quick kiss.
They made their way over to the dance floor, enjoying the slower song that was playing. The pair were a bit awkward, but eventually found a good groove. They enjoyed their time together, letting the music guide them, as if it was only the two of them in the whole world...
Suddenly, the music began to pick up in a much more lively song. They paused, and Cerebella smiled widely.
"I love this song!"
"Which one is this?"
"Palisades Park!"
Beatrix blinked. "Oh yeah... Old pop song... Heh... Well, let's go crazy then, shall we?" Grinning, Cerebella grabbed her hand and the dance began anew. Cerebella knew Beatrix enjoyed dancing from the talk they'd had at the cafe, but what she wasn't prepared for was just how good a dancer the magician was.
Still, somehow Cerebella kept up. They didn't know if anyone was watching them, but they didn't much care. They were happy, they were enjoying this, just the two of them. They danced for a few songs before leaving the floor and going over to the balcony, looking out over the night skyline. "It's beautiful out there." Cerebella remarked.
"Heh... Yeah... It sure is..." Beatrix said softly. Cerebella looked over at her with a wry smirk and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close.
"But y'know what? No matter how beautiful that view is, it's nothing compared to the view I get from right beside me." She turned and looked Beatrix in the eyes. Beatrix blushed slightly and looked off to the side. Honestly, she was still unsure of how to handle Cerebella's sweet talking... It was really sweet, but it made her so... bashful.
It was... odd. She had spent her whole life in anger, trying to find some sort of purpose... she spent so long only ever finding pride or a sense of satisfaction in her own work. Now, here was Cerebella. Giving her a sense of happiness and joy she never knew she could have. The question for her now was... how did she respond? She knew how to say nice things to the weightlifter, but how did she show the same affection?
All sorts of responses ran through her mind, but she had no idea how to convey them. Eventually, she just started spewing out everything that came to mind. "And you... uh... pretty... hot... thing... I like... your face and uh... nice eyes, I wanna... look at them and stuff, uh... You're a nice girl, I like you, you're cool, really cool... Yeah... Cool..." She coughed awkwardly. 'REALLY, BEATRIX?!' She internally scolded herself for her complete ineptitude.
This wasn't helped by Cerebella's laughter. She shivered for a moment, nervous about what she was going to say, she slowly looked over at Cerebella, who smiled widely at her. "You're new to this, aren't you?" She chuckled, pulling Beatrix a bit closer. "But still, thank you. It's sweet."
'Well, maybe you didn't royally screw this up...'
"But you're not much of a sweet talker."
'DANG IT!'
Cerebella kissed the magician's cheek and rested her own cheek atop her head. "But hey... Actions speak louder than words, just like the old saying goes."
Beatrix said nothing in response. She just smiled softly at the close contact. "This was a great date night..." She said softly. Cerebella nodded.
"Sure was... But it's about time we got home now. It's almost time to put Harry to bed. Wanna come and help me tuck him in for the night?"
"Sure." Beatrix grinned.
Back at their small home, Feng was sitting with Harry snuggled on her lap. The tiny boy was trying to stay awake, but he was so sleepy, and he was losing the fight more and more each moment. Feng enjoyed holding the tiny boy close, gently playing with him as he drifted off. He was so precious!
When she heard the door open, she smiled softly and rose to her feet, holding Harry close as she went to meet the two lovers at the front door. Cerebella was the first to enter, followed by Beatrix, and she smiled at the sight of her son. "Here, Feng. Pass him over to Beatrix. She came to say bye before she heads home."
Gently handing the sleepy boy over, Beatrix smiled down at her son. Man, that felt so weird... but yeah, he was her son now. "Hi cutie." She cooed softly, rubbing his cheek.
"Hi Mama..." Harry mumbled, enjoying the feeling of being held by his mama. He was happy that his mommy was happy, and he was happy that his mama was happy.
Beatrix chuckled and held him against her shoulder, lightly patting his back. "Auntie Feng tucker you out?" She smirked as Harry nodded his head.
"It was fun... It was a fun day..." He mumbled into her shoulder. Beatrix kissed his cheek and rested her chin atop his head gently, smiling in content.
"Glad to hear it... Now, let's get you to bed..." She whispered softly into his ear, gently bouncing him in her arms as she carried him to his room.
Harry smiled as his mama carried him into her room, gently tucking the tiny boy into bed. "I love you mama..." Harry yawned. Beatrix grinned and kissed his forehead.
"I love you too, sweetie." The magician replied softly.
Cerebella turned to Feng with a beaming smile, and Feng looked equal parts shocked and impressed. "See? What'd I tell ya? She's a natural." She whispered. Beatrix gently stroked the boy's hair to try and lull him to sleep. Then, Cerebella got an idea. "Hey, Beatrix... You should sing him a lullaby." Beatrix looked over at her with wide eyes and she beamed back. "You did say you'd sing when we got back... And this is a perfect opportunity."
"...Well... All right... I suppose..." Beatrix conceded.
Harry seemed happy as Beatirx rubbed his cheek gently, then the magician began a gentle song. She didn't know where she had learned it, but it had always stuck with her. Harry seemed absolutely mesmerized by the song, his sleepy eyes widening slightly, then closing once again as the song put him to sleep.
Cerebella, meanwhile, was absolutely floored by the sound of Beatrix's voice. It was truly a beautiful sound... It was like listening to the song of a siren. Beatrix kissed Harry's temple gently, then rose to her feet with a smirk, putting her hands on her hips. "Sleep tight, hun..." She whispered softly. She turned to the door and looked at Cerebella with a grin. " I'd better get back home now. But here's one for the road." She pulled the acrobat into a kiss, even slipping a little tongue.
When they finally pulled away, Cerebella smiled and waved at her girlfriend as she headed out. Sighing, she took a seat next to her son on her bed and gently took one of his hands. "You're so precious..." She cooed. "Thank you for everything you've brought me."
Harry subconsciously squeezed her hand, and she smiled at him lovingly before leaning down and kissing his head. She sighed softly. Life was truly good...