Ten years ago… in the year 2041…
The next day, Blair and Roxanne both met at the AFROTC classroom for their exam. Blair was barely able to get through the test, her mind and emotions in complete disarray. Roxanne, however, was better at hiding it as she sat in the classroom, but inside she was just as torn up as she tried to come to terms with several emotions of her own. After their final, Blair and Roxanne began seeing each other less and less, almost to the point of nearly avoiding one another. Over the next week, Blair tried to get her mind off of Roxanne and what happened between them.
Once Blair had gotten over the initial couple days of misery, she began reaching out to other people and socializing again. She started talking to other girls at the LGBT Center and even attended a party or two, just to get back into the groove of things. As time went on, she finally returned to her old, spritely self with the help of being around other people besides Roxanne.
It was the Friday of Dead Week, the last week of classes before final exams started. Having been around the LGBT Center, Blair found out about an upcoming event that she couldn't possibly pass up. It was the anniversary of gay marriage becoming legal and its acceptance into everyday life, so a festival commemorating the event was taking place on the Fairgrounds.
In the early afternoon on the day of the event, Blair and a few others from the LGBT Center went to have some fun together and enjoyed the festivities it had to offer. They took a bus from campus to the Fairgrounds and quickly got their tickets. It was a bit crowded, but not overly so that it was a nuisance. At least the weather was nice; the sky was clear and the air wasn't too chilly. Blair and her group of gals had just entered the fair proper and were deciding on where to go first.
"This looks like it's going to be a great time, right?" asked Mindy as she walked alongside Blair.
"It does. I'm glad I was able to go with you gals," said Blair, giving her a smile.
Mindy chuckled, returning the smile. "I'm glad that you're finally able to enjoy yourself again," she said.
"Hmm?" asked Blair.
"What I meant to say is that I'm glad you decided to come out and start being social again. I know what happened to you was rough, but things like that just happen. I'm proud of you for not letting it get you down and moving on. I'm here for you, we all are. So let's enjoy this festival as a group of friends without worries, okay?" said Mindy, giving Blair a slight hug.
Blair patted Mindy on the back as they hugged, feeling a bit relived. "Thanks, Mindy. It's nice to know I have other people who care about me and that I can rely on. You're all such great friends," said Blair.
For the first hour or so, they explored around the grounds near the entrance, walking from booth to booth. There, they played some simple fair games and listened to what some of the vendors were selling. One of the games the group tried out involved darts and balloons. The player was given three darts and had to pop a balloon to win a prize. Getting all three darts to pop a separate balloon won the player a bigger prize. Blair decided to give it a shot and got paid for one round.
"You're going to try this one?" asked Mindy as she and the others followed Blair to the stand.
Blair gave her a smirk, taking one of the darts in hand. "Yeah. Lemme show you gals how it's done," she said before throwing the dart at a balloon. Unfortunately, her aim wasn't true as the dart skimmed the side of a balloon and pushed it off to the side. Not helping her also was the fact that the balloons were only half filled so they'd be harder to pop. Undeterred, Blair took her second dart and hurled it at the wall only for it to miss a balloon completely and stick into the backboard. She started to get agitated as her second attempt ended in failure, though she was mistaken if she thought brute force and power was the correct way to play the game.
"Uh, I don't think you're doing it right," said Mindy from beside Blair.
Blair grumbled and took the last dart in hand. "Oh really? Then what's the right way?" she asked, turning to her.
Mindy looked to the dart then to the wall of balloons. "Try lobbing it at your target. Like, give it an arc," she said, mimicking the motion Blair should attempt.
Unconvinced but without an alternative, Blair decide to give it a try. She did a few practice runs then finally let go of her dart in an awkward fashion. The dart tumbled in the air and hit a balloon using the back end opposite of the tip. The dart bounced off the balloon right back at Blair and hit her in the head, luckily with the fin part of the dart and not the sharp end. As soon as it happened, Mindy and the others stifled a laugh then commended Blair on a good try as a consolation prize. Blair rubbed her hear head and frowned, glancing to the game's attendant who only shrugged embarrassingly as a sign that she didn't win anything. Feeling a bit hungry, she then left the group to find a snack while they continued to play another game of darts and balloons.
"Where're you off to in a hurry?" asked Mindy as she watched one of their friends toss a dart at the wall of balloons.
"I'm just going to grab snack very quickly. I'll be back in a sec," said Blair as she started heading off towards a nearby food stand.
"All right. We'll still be here when you get back," said Mindy as she turned to see her friend's dart pop a balloon. They all cheered at their friends success as Blair huffed, walking away.
Blair decided to get a deep-fried chocolate bar, coated with powdered sugar. She got in line, which wasn't too long, and gave the attendant there her order. After a brief moment of waiting, Blair had her treat and promptly paid for it. When she turned around to return to her friends, she accidentally bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry," she said, almost dropping her delectable delight. As soon as she looked to see who it was, she blinked with a puzzled expression. "…Roxanne?"
Standing in front of her was Roxanne, equally as surprised as she wiped off the sugar from her shirt. "Uh, hi…," she said with an embarrassed smile.
"Wh- What are you doing here?" asked Blair, moving off to the side with her so they weren't in the way of other fair-goers. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel either excited or abashed, so she just tried to keep herself as neutral as possible.
"Oh, well, I was kinda feeling like something unhealthy to complete the fair experience, so what better to do that than with something deep-fried?" said Roxanne.
Blair was still baffled, completely forgetting about the snack in her hand. "I mean, what are you doing here… at this fair… for gay people?" she asked.
Roxanne rolled her eyes, seeing that Blair hadn't changed a bit in the short period they had been apart. "It's not just for gay people. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of straight and other people here as well that want to celebrate the occasion."
"Like you, I guess," said Blair, feeling a bit dismayed from seeing Roxanne after so long.
Roxanne saw her distraught expression and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I- I wouldn't exactly say that," she said, smiling slightly.
"…huh?" asked Blair.
Roxanne knew this day was going to come sooner or later, yet she didn't think it was going to happen like this. She motioned to Blair to follow her to a picnic table and sat down, hastily rehearsing her words in her head while Blair told her friends to continue on without her. After waving goodbye to them, she joined Roxanne at the table, setting her deep-fried chocolate bar on a napkin.
With a long sigh, Roxanne directed her attention to Blair, looking her in the eye. "Look, I know we haven't exactly been on friendly terms these past couple weeks," she said.
Blair pouted, resting her head on the table with a weary gaze. "Yeah… I know," she said.
"After we last talked the morning after you stayed the night, I…," said Roxanne before pausing, feeling restless as she forced herself to continue. "I began thinking."
Still pouting, Blair took a bite of her snack which temporarily made her cringe with pleasure. As she chewed the first bite, savoring its taste, she glanced up at Roxanne. "…about what?" she asked.
Fidgeting in her seat, Roxanne glanced away as she bit her lip. "…about how I identify myself," she said.
"Huh?" asked Blair, taking another bite of her deep-fried chocolate bar.
Roxanne exhaled greatly as she turned away, grimacing before looking back to her. "You're such an idiot. You know, my sexual orientation?" she said.
Having Roxanne rephrase it, Blair then knew what she was talking about. "Oh," she said then pausing, deducing what Roxanne was going to say next. "Roxanne… what are you saying?" she asked, ignoring her snack as she met her friend's eyes.
"Well… after we talked about boyfriends and such, I began thinking about my future and… love in general," said Roxanne.
Blair sat up and leaned forward a little, giving her utmost attention to her friend.
"You see, I wasn't quite sure I believed it myself when I said I was straight and only into boys. But to tell you the truth, I've never really thought about what I am. I don't mind guys, but… I also don't mind girls as well. They're the same to me in regards of attractiveness, so long as they're a nice person. This is how it's always been, as far back as I remember," said Roxanne placing her hands on the table, one over the other, and glancing down at them. "But- after meeting you…"
Upon hearing her words, Blair perked up, listening more intently as she watched Roxanne speak from the heart. "Roxanne…," she said, feeling a certain warmth resonate back in her chest.
Roxanne smiled and looked to her. "Since meeting you, I've sorta questioned whether I'm really straight or not. You've sorta swayed my disposition more towards one gender than the other. So after our little discussion, I began researching the whole lesbian thing. I've visited the LGBT Center and talked to the folks there. They seemed pretty nice and were willing to help me out. Then I heard about this festival and decided to check it out in order to learn more, and so far, I'm liking the gay atmosphere, not that it's any different than a- well, normal atmosphere."
"R- Really? So you're… a lesbian?" asked Blair, suddenly feeling cheerful and rejuvenated.
Roxanne began to redden in the cheeks after seeing Blair so enthusiastic about the news. "Well… I don't know. It's all so confusing still. I mean, I like girls as well, but… you know my predicament. It's my parents. They don't know about my 'dilemma', and so I bet they expect me to find a nice young man, and get married, and have kids, etcetera," she said with a sigh a she began to sulk.
"Parents? Pfft, c'mon, Roxanne. You're a college girl. Have some balls and start doing things for yourself! Do what you want for crying out loud. Who cares if you start liking girls? Just do what makes you feel good. That's what I do and I don't regret a thing," said Blair.
"It's not that easy, Blair," said Roxanne, giving her a stern look. "I owe it to them to carry out their wishes. I just can't turn my back on them, declaring that I like girls and don't want to get married to a man. It isn't right." She groaned with frustration, agitated by the conflict within her. She began massaging her temples after getting a headache from the stress.
Blair saw that she was frustrated and reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's all right. I get where you're coming from. It's not my place to judge or tell you how you live your life," she said, scooting closer and rubbing Roxanne's arm slightly. "How about this? You and I enjoy the rest of the festival together as friends, you know, to get your mind off of whatever is bothering you. Then afterwards, I can help you sort things out, okay?"
After taking a moment to collect herself and think about her current situation, Roxanne opened her eyes and looked to Blair, her headache starting to subside. "You know, you're a good friend, Blair. I really appreciate it," she said with a frail smile.
"Heh, that's what friends are for. Am I right?" said Blair with a smirk.
"Yeah. And I don't want to ruin your time here as well with my drama. I'll just suck it up and deal with it at a more appropriate time," said Roxanne, feeling much better that she didn't have to tackle her problems alone.
"You have four or so years to deal with it. You shouldn't have to waste your college years worrying about it. While you're here with me, you should have fun. Enjoy your youth and just live your life how you please, and-" Blair paused, seeing Roxanne looking at her with a bothered look. "Ah, I'm preaching again, aren't I? Sorry."
With a sigh, Roxanne shook her head and smiled. "It's all right. I actually agree with you on this. I just… need time to figure things out. But like you said, I've got some time and I won't have to do it alone," she said.
Blair cracked a smile, her eyes locked on Roxanne's. "It's good to see you again, Roxanne," she said.
Roxanne playfully scoffed at her then stood up, looking down at her. "Hey, just because I may be a lesbian now, don't think you can start hitting on me, okay?" she said.
"Ha, wouldn't dream of it," said Blair as she got up as well, placing her hands in her pockets.
The two of them stood by the table for a few silent moments, glancing away from each other as they smiled timidly to themselves. Blair was ecstatic to hear the news, her confidence rejuvenated at the notion of having a chance with Roxanne. Meanwhile, Roxanne was feeling much more relieved that she didn't have to keep pushing Blair away, accepting the fact that she could indeed be a lesbian as well and attracted to other women. It felt nice, almost freeing to know what she wanted and she had Blair to thank for that.
After snapping out of her daydream, Blair looked to Roxanne and picked up her half-eaten deep-fried chocolate bar. "So, where to first… best friend?" she asked.
"Lead the way. I'll go wherever you go," said Roxanne, waltzing up next to her.
Blair was feeling particularly pleased to be with Roxanne again, almost feeling light-headed from the pleasant feelings. She then looked down to Roxanne's hand and reached out, tenderly grasping it.
Feeling Blair's affectionate touch, Roxanne winced as she met her friend's infatuated gaze. Her initial instinct was to pull away and scold her, but she didn't. She couldn't. It felt too innocent and lovely to ruin. Instead, Roxanne tightened her grip on Blair's hand, giving her a smile as well as they began walking together, heading deeper into the festival.
As they walked along, Roxanne noticed Blair's treat and asked, "Hey, mind if I get a bite of that?"
"Hmm?" asked Blair as she turned her head to Roxanne, still holding her hand affectionately.
"Your deep-fried whatever it is. Could I have a taste?" asked Roxanne.
Blair looked to her other hand and saw the morsel. "Oh, this? It's a deep-friend chocolate bar. But I already took a bite and has my germs, so…," she said, giving Roxanne a closer look.
Roxanne chuckled, eyeing the dessert. "Oh please. Germs? What do you think this is? Elementary school? I was going to get myself one of these things, but I'd rather just taste one instead. So c'mon, lemme have a bite? Please?" she said, giving her a playful pout which caused Blair to give in instantly.
"Fine. Here. You can finish it off if you want," said Blair, handing the snack over.
Letting go of Blair's hand, Roxanne took the chocolate bar and inspected it, seeing the powdered sugar and gooey center. She then saw where Blair had bit, noticing the teeth marks in the soft dough. She gulped, hesitantly picking it up from the paper tray with her hand. She had never shared food or drink with anyone before other than family, despite acting like she had just seconds before. Normally she wouldn't have done this sort of thing, but this instance was different. The food belonged to Blair, her best friend. She trusted her and so with a hearty bite, she took a big chunk out of the bar, finishing off half of what remained. As she began chewing the piece, she mewled with delight, tasting the rich, chocolaty flavor and the warmth of the dough.
Seeing Roxanne enjoy the snack so much, Blair couldn't help but blush since it was her snack to begin with. The thought of Roxanne biting where she bit, made her happy. It was like an indirect kiss, sort of speak, and that excited her. Even if her friend was a lesbian, she tried to contain her enjoyment, clearing her throat. Although she obviously wanted them to be more, she tried to keep up the charade of just being friends until Roxanne was ready.
"So… how is it?" asked Blair, watching Roxanne closely as she devoured her snack.
After swallowing the mouthful, Roxanne let out a content sigh. "It's utterly amazing. I guess I understand why so many people love this stuff," she said before taking another bite.
Blair grinned, carefully watching her as she ate. As they walked along through the festival, they decided to stop occasionally to play a game at a booth or get some free merchandise. The more they did together, the more Blair and Roxanne began to feel at ease with one another once more. It was just like old times, before they were worried about sexual orientation and were just good friends. Blair was finally able to laugh again and so was Roxanne, thoroughly enjoying each other's company as they went around the grounds. As they were walking, they found themselves in the game zone where a majority of the fair games were located. Feeling lucky, Blair led Roxanne over to one of the booths and pulled out her wallet.
"What are you doing?" asked Roxanne as she stood with Blair in front of the booth.
Blair took out a five dollar bill and handed it to the attendant, receiving three baseballs in return. "I'm going to win you that big, fluffy flying horse-thing," she said, pointing to a gray Pegasus with a red mane and glasses. "You know, since you like cuddling with things in bed…," she said with a smirk and giving a wink at Roxanne.
Roxanne's cheeks began to turn slightly red, crossing her arms as she snootily turned her head away. "Why must you bring that up? That's kinda personal, you know…," she said.
After rolling her eyes, Blair took one of the balls and prepared to throw it. "Pfft, whatever. But just watch and see. That horse-thing is as good as yours," she said.
"You mean Pegasus," said Roxanne.
"Huh?" asked Blair, halting her throw midway.
"It's called a Pegasus. You know, the 'flying horse-thing'? That's what it's called," said Roxanne.
"Okay, Ms. Know-It-All," said Blair as she prepared for her first attempt. She tossed the ball up and down in her hand, smiling smugly as she eyed the stack of bottles in front of her. She may have had bad luck with darts, but baseballs were a completely different story. With a hefty throw, she launched the ball forward, missing completely as it passed the stack of bottles by a foot.
As Blair huffed in disappointment, Roxanne started slow clapping, mocking her with false praise. "Very nice. If you keep throwing like that, maybe you can scare the bottles off the pedestal," she said with a playful smile.
With a determined look, Blair didn't mind Roxanne's sarcastic comments and heaved the second ball, hitting the platform the bottles rested on. They jostled around a bit but remained standing defiantly. Before Roxanne could open her mouth to spit out another jest, Blair took the last ball and held her breath, taking a slight moment to aim before hurling it towards its target. The baseball hit home, striking all three bottles and knocking them to the floor.
With an elated shout of success, Blair clutched her hand into a fist. "Yes! Ha! Eat that, Rox!" she said, taking the stuffed animal from the booth attendant. Once she had it in her hands, she hugged it then looked to Roxanne. "Here. I did say I was going to win it for you," said Blair, handing her the plush toy.
Roxanne took it, still a bit surprised that Blair managed to knock down the bottles with her last ball. "Oh, uh. Thanks. It's really… nice," she said as she inspected it. She then smiled as she held it under her arm, continuing on with Blair.
"It's kinda cute. At first, I wanted it for myself, but then I was like 'I'm sure Roxanne could use some cheering up'. So, I won it for you," said Blair, walking alongside her to the point of almost touching shoulders.
"Oh, I see. It is pretty adorable and makes me smile. And since it's from you, it's extra special," said Roxanne, turning her head towards Blair with a smile. "I think I'll name her Brass, since it kinda reminds me of you, with the red hair and glasses and all."
Blair smiled, patting the Pegasus on the head. "She is cute and does kinda look like me, don't she? I just hope you don't think about me when you cuddle with it in bed," she said, turning to Roxanne and giving a playful smirk.
"Yeah, you would like that, wouldn't you?" said Roxanne, giving her a sarcastic look.
Blair snickered a bit, looking forward to see what else was around them. For the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening, the two girls spent their time together playing games and overall having a good time. They bought some ride tickets and decided to go on a few, despite Roxanne believing they were too old to be riding fair rides. Blair insisted they go try at least the mini rollercoaster and chair swings, so how could Roxanne refuse. In-between rides, the two of them grabbed a snack or two as they walked through the crowded walkways, scoping out the next attraction to visit.
After the sun set and the temperature began getting cooler, they retired to a secluded spot on a grassy hill, looking up into the sky. They were surrounded by other couples and festival patrons, but their spot had ample room to be private enough. Blair and Roaxanne were sitting beside each other on the ground, snacking from a shared paper bin of onion rings.
"Man, these are so good, aren't they?" asked Blair as she reached in, taking a couple more onion rings and stuffing them into her mouth in a brazen fashion. She then wiped the crumbs and oily residue from her hands onto her jeans as if it were a napkin.
"Yes, they are," said Roxanne as she used a napkin to hold a single onion ring, taking small bites from it in a lady-like manner.
Suddenly, the sky lit up with bright lights as fireworks began exploding in the distance above them. As the booms from the pyrotechnics echoed, Blair jerked slightly, startled by the suddenness of the explosions.
Roxanne noticed her uneasiness and patted her on the shoulder. "It's all right. You're with me, so you'll be fine," she said, giving her a calming smile.
Feeling the reassurance of Roxanne beside her, Blair was able to calm down and looked to the sky to enjoy the fireworks. As she reached down to grab another onion ring, she unexpectedly felt something warm and smooth instead of something gritty and oily. When she glanced down to see what it was, she saw her hand on top of Roxanne's who also wanted another bite. Immediately, she withdrew hers and looked up to Roxanne. "Oh! Sorry," she said with a bit of wavering in her voice.
Roxanne smiled, pulling back her hand as well. "It's okay. You can have the last onion ring if you want. I've already had my share," she said.
"Are you sure? I've had a lot too. And you did pay for most of it," said Blair.
"Nah. It's okay. I think I've had enough fried foods to last me for the rest of the year," said Roxanne with a snicker.
"If you say so," said Blair as she finished off the snack. She popped the last ring into her mouth, chewing it with delight as she took the bin between them and set it off to the side. The two sat together in an awkward silence, watching the fireworks as they began fidgeting in their spots. After swallowing, Blair sighed with relief as she leaned back, resting her hands on the ground to prop herself up.
Roxanne did the same and got more comfortable, stretching out her legs in front of her. Suddenly, their hands touched, each one turning to the other as the warmth drew their attention. Blair looked down and tried to pull away, but to her surprise, Roxanne kept her hand on top of hers. As their eyes met under the glow of the full moon and fireworks, they gulped with nervousness and desire. They remained gazing into one another's eyes, not saying a word. Their heartbeats increased as they leaned closer to each other, not breaking their stares as the explosions continued to increase in tempo and splendor. The display and loud noises didn't bother Blair as she knew what they were. The dazzling lights helped put her at ease.
Before the finale, there was a brief period of silence as their faces were only inches apart, their breaths felt on each other's faces. As soon as it started, they locked lips in their first kiss, holding it as the finale took place. Blair reached up with one of her hands and caressed Roxanne's cheek, not letting go until the last boom was heard. Afterwards, they broke away, panting as they let the feeling sink in while gazing back into each other's eyes.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to taste your lips. Yours are the sweetest I've ever tasted," said Blair, her heart still beating fast as the taste of Roxanne, mostly the onion rings though, lingered on her lips. She then gave her a warm smile, slightly flustered from the sudden kiss. The fireworks had ended and the air was quiet, save for the murmuring voices of the other visitors. As people began to leave the area, Blair and Roxanne stayed behind to savor the moment.
Roxanne was equally as flustered, blushing as she wondered what made her do such a thing. But she didn't let such thoughts ruin the moment. She actually enjoyed it, every second of it and she wouldn't have had it any other way. "That… was my first, kiss. Ever," she said softly, an excited smile forming on her face.
"…how was it?" Blair asked, seeing Roxanne sitting before her.
Without warning, Roxanne lunged at Blair, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. As she held Blair close to her body, she kissed her passionately exhaling through her nose as she caressed Blair's back. She put every ounce of her longing and desire into the kiss, years of solitude finally coming to an end because of her friend. Feeling a kiss that was unlike any other Blair had experienced before, she matched Roxanne's intensity, releasing all of her affection and love for her as she kissed back.
After Roxanne had her fill, she withdrew, a thin strand of saliva connecting their lips before breaking away. "It was… amazing," she said, licking her lips as she sat back.
Blair kept her eyes closed for a few moments longer, savoring the kiss as she remained motionless. After languishing in the pleasant feelings long enough, she slowly opened her eyes to see Roxanne smiling at her. She let out a deep sigh of content and sat back as well. "That was sublime. I hadn't figured you'd the intimate type," said Blair with a smirk.
"Well, hopefully you'll get to see more of that side of me from here on out," said Roxanne.
"Yeah, me too," said Blair with another content sigh. "Wait, does this mean…"
Smirking, Roxanne gave a nod and took Blair's hand in hers. "I mean, if that's okay with you…," she said.
Blair could hardly contain the excitement within her as she stifled the urge to shout out loud with glee. Instead, she hugged Roxanne close, nearly crying tears of joy as she embraced her friend. "I am… SO HAPPY! I'll- I'll be the best girlfriend for you! You won't regret this!" she said, snuggling up close to her new girlfriend.
Roxanne smiled warmly, resting her head on Blair's shoulder as she rubbed her back. "I know you will, Blair. And don't worry. No matter what happens, I'll… never regret this decision. The only thing I regret is not coming to this conclusion sooner," she said.
As Blair continued to hug Roxanne close, a tear ran down her cheek. "Hey… Roxy?" she asked.
"Yeah?" asked Roxanne.
"…I love you."
#
"Geez, save it for when you get back home why don't ya?"
Blair broke away from the kiss and looked over to see Cunningham standing beside them, giving her a smirk. He shook his head before turning back to the night sky and focusing on the fireworks above the track.
"What are you doing here? Don't you have better things to do than stalk me and Roxanne?" asked Blair as she held Roxanne around the waist.
Cunningham chuckled, not diverting his gaze away from the fireworks. "I was here first, actually, so in retrospect, I'd say you're the ones stalking me," he said.
"Pfft, whatever. You know what? I think I'll just take your advice and continue our loving back at our apartment. What do you say, Roxy?" asked Blair, looking affectionately to the woman in her arms.
"I'm all yours, Love," said Roxanne, giving her a wink.
Blair smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek before turning to Cunningham afterwards. "Catch ya later, Hambone," said Blair as she proceeded towards the exit with her girlfriend.
As they were leaving, Cunningham watched them walk away, taking particular interest in Blair as he smirked with a haughty scoff.
"Yo, Bro, you don't actually… have a thing for that woman, do you?" asked Jan, one of Cunningham's teammates who was standing beside him.
Cunningham continued to gaze upon Blair until she was out of sight, snickering to himself as he moved to find the rest of his team. "And what would give you that impression?" he said, sticking his hands in his pockets as he walked away, thoughts of Blair still fresh in his mind.