Author's Note: Happy New Year to you all!
Hope you enjoy. :)
Yang had no idea what to do now.
Waking up naked with her girlfriend was no surprise. It was quite a common occurrence. But to find her roommate, who also happened to be her ex, also with them, also naked... that was something else entirely. Sure, Yang had joked with friends about being part of a threesome- hell, she had even joked about it before with Weiss, but she always figured that if it ever happened for real, there would be discussion before anything occurred. Drunkenly ending up in bed with her girlfriend and roommate after a family party was... not exactly how she imagined it happening.
What made things worse was that it took quite a while for the trio to actually get out of bed, mostly due to how honestly comfortable they all were. Plus, once they were each awake, Weiss and Neo got a little... clingy, cuddling even closer to Yang, which... since they were all stark-naked, was a feeling and a half. Or rather, two feelings. Gods, what the hell did they get themselves into?
Once the three eventually, and rather awkwardly, got out of bed, Weiss got them all water and painkillers for the hangovers, while Yang put on a pot of coffee. Of course they each donned a robe first - light-orange robe for the blonde, icy-blue for her girlfriend, and light-pink for Neo - but once they were decent, the trio settled at the kitchen table so they could talk. Well, sort of. Weiss and Neo sat at the kitchen table with their cups of coffee, the latter timidly, but Yang felt extremely antsy thinking about their current situation, so she was pacing around the kitchen as she struggled to remember what happened between the Harvest party and waking up this morning.
All three of them had consumed quite a bit of alcohol by the end of the night, having taken a Ryde to Summer and Tai's house for preparation, and it turned out, the more they drank, the flirtier they all became. When they finally departed for the night, both Yang and Neo had their heads on Weiss' shoulders during the ride home, and... if the blonde was remembering correctly, everything might have started when Weiss drunkenly made out with the wrong person... Then things escalated from there, and by the time the Ryde arrived at their building, the three were trading sloppy embraces, hands and lips exploring all over their bodies. When they eventually made it into the apartment, they were practically hanging off each other, which was where... Weiss suggested that they take their activities to the bedroom. Now that was a hard one to believe.
Honestly, Yang could not even remember how long they were at it, so to speak, due to the sheer number of things the trio did with and to each other. Though she did recall her and Neo getting visits from her and Weiss' yellow friend, and she knew it ended with the other two falling asleep in her arms. They all clearly lost themselves the prior night, each of them having pent up sexual energy - most notably Neo, for obvious reasons - and none of them held back one bit. Which led them to this morning, and they were sore and concerned about the consequences of their drunken actions, especially Yang. Now that the three were fully awake, the blonde was worried, because she had noticed a large, bruised bite mark around Neo's left nipple before they donned their robes, one that she caused, and she had the feint memory of Weiss drawing a bit of blood on her back at some point...
"Hey, uh... you okay?" Yang hesitantly asked, awkwardly approaching the mute, unable to make proper eye contact. Gods, she hoped that she did not hurt her. "'Cause I... I saw the bruise I left on your tit..."
Rather than using her scroll's text-to-speech to answer, Neo simply reached out for her friend's free hand, planting a kiss on the back of it before managing a slight smile and nod.
Guess that's at least a little assuring. After a few moments, Yang let out a slight sigh of relief, and took a seat at the kitchen table with her girlfriend and roommate.
"Well, I suppose we should get started at some point." Weiss began, breaking the incredibly-awkward silence. "Even before last night, I believe it's safe to say that there was attraction between the three of us, as there could only be so much flirting, verbal teasing, sexual remarks and jokes before something came of it." She explained, looking over at their roommate. "I will admit, I once hated you, even despised you for what happened with Yang, but over time, the more I learned about you, and the more we all spent time together, the more I warmed up to you. Then, ever since that night you tried to... well, nakedly present yourself to us, the image of your nude body stuck around in my head, and it made me... curious. But I knew even weeks later that your situation was still sensitive, so I waited for a time when we could all openly discuss it." Then Weiss chuckled a bit. "Although, I suppose we're a little past that point, given what already occurred."
Yang glanced over at Neo, before looking back to her girlfriend, knowing what she was saying was accurate. "Weiss, you're my partner, my future, but I'll admit, my feelings for Neo never really went away. They just... took a back seat. So... I guess we should just accept what happened and figure out how to move forward."
Weiss nodded. "I agree, but first thing's first." She agreed, turning her gaze to their roommate again. "Do you feel alright? Because I can recall being quite aggressive last night, more so than Yang, so if I hurt you in any way, I apologize."
Neo quickly shook her head before grabbing her scroll. I'm okay, I promise. I'm used to rough. She assured, before her gaze fell. I just... I'm afraid of last night being a mistake. You two are my first real friends, and I'm... I'm scared that our unintentional drunken fling is going to ruin that... maybe even get me kicked out for pushing myself on you... Then Neo took a deep breath, before she continued typing. Look, I don't think I'm in love with you two, but after everything that you've done for me, I can't help but feel something more than just platonic friendship or sexual attraction. I mean come on, you're both amazing.
A brief silence followed, before Weiss continued. "Well, how would you like us to proceed from here?"
Neo did not answer immediately, instead looking down at her scroll, expression downcast. I'm sorry. Last night was all my fault.
"Nonsense." Weiss snapped. "Nothing would have happened if there was no desire for it, Neo, even if we were drunk. It's clear we all wanted it in some capacity. After all, we wear the evidence on our skin."
Does that mean... you're not going to abandon me? Neo hesitantly asked, avoiding eye contact.
"We'll never abandon you. You're part of our family." Weiss promised, reaching across the table to gently grasp the mute's hand, offering a reassuring smile.
Neo's lip quivered, as she tried her absolute hardest not to cry, but failed. Instinctively, the other two practically jumped out of their seats to move in and wrap their arms around their roommate, holding her close as she silently cried. They remained there for a brief time, until the mute eventually calmed down. It took some time, but the couple was happy to help. Once Neo was calm, they returned to their seats, both offering warm smiles. I really enjoyed last night. She admitted with a slight blush. It was nice to have company.
Yang could not help but blush a little as well. "Same here. I did like havin' a full bed, 'cause before Weiss it was... empty for a long time..." She agreed, smile fading a bit, but thankfully only briefly. "I guess if uh, if you ever wanna join us again, that'd be okay, as long as Weiss is good with that."
Weiss glanced between the other two. "Well, I must admit, I do like... whatever this is, and not just because last night was phenomenal." She informed, slight blush tinting her cheeks as well. "So... I believe that would be acceptable."
Neo just blinked, seemingly unable to believe her ears, which was rather cute. She then slowly picked up her scroll, and hesitantly typed out a message, taking a few moments before activating the text-to-speech. Well... how about right now?
Yang had to do a double take of that. "Like, right now right now?" She blurted, eyes widening a bit. "Can we at least have breakfast first?"
What better way to work up an appetite? Neo wondered with a slight smile.
The blonde looked to Weiss for help, but she merely shrugged. "She's not wrong." The latter admitted.
Yang looked to Neo again, who only shrugged as well, smile shifting to a small grin. Oh for gods sake. So, letting out a heavy sigh, she stood up from her chair, walked around the kitchen table, grabbed the mute, fully picked her up, and threw her over her shoulder, earning an extremely-shocked gasp. "Alright, let's go, pipsqueak." Yang declared, glancing back at her girlfriend as she headed into the living room. "You're makin' breakfast for this, Weiss."
"Gladly." Weiss agreed through a chuckle, getting up to follow.
I won't lie, I didn't think that would work. Neo admitted as she was carried into the small hallway that led to the master bedroom.
"Guess you're gettin' lucky then." Yang smirked, tapping the mute's bare thigh a couple times.
Neo silently laughed at the response. Am I ever.
Just before Yang opened the door to their bedroom, Weiss tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to turn around, and nearly swing Neo into the wall, which would have ruined the mood a little. "Before I forget, after breakfast, it'll be time to do what we originally planned to do today."
Yang furrowed her brow. "What's that?" She wondered, trying to remember if they had any plans for the day, even before they slept with their roommate. Sadly, nothing came to mind. At first, her partner simply smiled.
"To submit our school applications."
Vernal... was happy.
It felt so... strange to realize that, because it was such an alien concept to her. She once spent all her time with Weiss thinking that she might up and leave the next day, but with Nora... she did not feel that way. She never felt that way. The only time Vernal ever felt unhappy was when she was at home and the redhead was not around. That was when old thoughts began to creep back into her head. When she was alone, and had nothing else to do but think, she found that the only thing on her mind was Nora, and... how anxious she was about making things work this time.
Honestly, Vernal had never been so aware of how she felt before now, or even cared. It never mattered. She had a place to sleep and a locked door, a job that paid more than what she needed to get by, and someone who actually gave a shit about her. Weiss was great, and fun to be around, but Vernal always figured that she would leave eventually. Other than that, everything was good enough.
But things were better than just good enough now. Vernal did not want to go back to good enough. She... She wanted Nora to stay.
That woman that she got to call her girlfriend had helped her so much since they started dating. Thanks to her, Vernal was even getting her confidence back. So much so that she had started to be the one to use the strap-on in bed again, with the redhead... well, becoming her power bottom, constantly telling her to go harder, faster, be rougher, and so on. Weiss always used to just take what she gave without question, but Nora made her work for it. In truth, Vernal found that she loved having someone to fight with in the bedroom. It was invigorating. Normally they would fight over who got to use the toy on who, wrestling until one of them submitted. Although, she did not think that Nora ever really lost, instead sometimes letting her win, because she wanted her girlfriend extra riled up when she was on top. She loved it when Vernal turned it up to eleven.
"Hey, everything okay?" Suddenly came Nora's voice, pulling the other woman from her thoughts.
Blinking, Vernal looked around the room, having forgotten where she was currently at. She and Nora had been cuddling on the former's couch, watching a movie that the latter wanted to show her, but she had become lost in thought. "I was uh, just thinkin'." Vernal eventually answered, glancing down at her girlfriend, who was looking up at her, a touch of concern in her expression.
"'Bout what?" Nora wondered.
"The past." Vernal informed, before her gaze went elsewhere out of embarrassment over what she was going to say next. "I uh... I like havin' you here, Nora, a-and... I want you to stay. So... I'm gonna tell you something about myself. Something that I've only ever told one other person, and even then... only partially." She hesitantly continued, earning a curious look from her girlfriend. "When I told you I was nearly homeless before Rae hired me... Y'know, that night I tried to hire you for sex... that wasn't true. Before I worked at The Perch, I... I was fully homeless, for a year..." She finally admitted, to which Nora's eyes widened.
"I had no family, no friends... no anybody. I was just a stupid pothead, alone on the streets." Vernal explained, trying to keep herself calm as memories from that horrible time in her life flooded back into her mind. "Every day was worse than the last... I was constantly hungry, malnourished, always afraid for my damn life... I was never sure if I was gonna make it to the next day." She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "It was the most traumatizing experience I'd ever lived through, and... I only managed to get out of it 'cause I stole a gun from a random guy I somehow managed to pick up at a bar, then... tried to rob Rae's bar."
A brief silence followed once Vernal finished. Nora said nothing, simply looking up at her girlfriend, expression full of concern, likely waiting for her to continue. "I just... I just wanted to tell you, 'cause... I'm afraid of ever going back to somethin' like that..." She eventually admitted. "I'm... I'm happy with you, Nora..."
Rather than verbally responding, Nora adjusted her position so that she could be face-to-face with the other woman. Then she offered a warm smile, leaning in to meet her girlfriend in a soft kiss. "Me too, so I guess it's good thing I'm not goin' anywhere." Nora promised, leaning in again to plant a kiss on her cheek.
Upon hearing that, an idea came to Vernal. One that scared her just thinking about it, yet... she wanted to bring it up anyway. And that scared her even more. "Nora, I uh... i-is your rent too high? 'Cause it's not too bad around here, and... it'd be cheaper to... y'know, split it... I-If you'd be into that of course..."
At first, Nora just stared blankly at her girlfriend, before a grin quickly spread across her face. "Oh? Are you askin' me to move in with you?"
A blush almost-immediately tinted Vernal's cheeks as she looked away from embarrassment. "I-I just figured that... rent is shit in the city, a-and it's always easier to share the load." She stammered, unable to look the other woman in the eyes.
Nora brought a hand up to stroke her chin for a moment. "Hmmm... I think you'll have to ask me properly if you want a proper answer, Vernal." She informed with a smile.
A rather long, extremely awkward stretch of silence followed. At least it was for Vernal. She wanted to ask the redhead to stay, to properly live with her, but... the idea of asking her was terrifying. It filled her with anxiety that she could not handle. But... Vernal still wanted to do it. She really did. And she was going to, she just... needed to gather enough courage to do so. Eventually glancing down at Nora, into those beautiful teal eyes, she... actually found that courage, just by looking at her. After a few more moments, she took a deep breath. "Nora... d'you... wanna move in here... with me?" Vernal finally asked, blush deep. In response, the redhead simply grinned, leaning in to peck her girlfriend on the lips.
"You bet I do, but it won't be that different. I already stay here more often than my own place anyway."
Things were going smoothly. So smoothly that for a while, Coco was worried that something was going to go horribly wrong at some point.
It was not long before the trio quickly settled into the three-person relationship they found themselves in, and soon enough, it was the new normal. She was happy. Happier than she had been in a long time. Honestly, Coco felt... whole. Her online art was really taking off, and that felt incredible. Her main account recently surpassed two-hundred-thousand followers, and she was at a little over five-thousand paid backers, which meant the number of commissions she was receiving was through the roof lately. It might have been too much if not for her wonderfully-supportive partners, taking care of everything when she was too busy. Gods, she loved them so damn much.
Coco had also started bonding with Neo over the fact that they were both thirds - though only partially for the mute - in established relationships. Certainly a strange, yet comforting thing to have in common. Plus, it was a shit ton of fun to know that Ruby and Yang were always worried they were spilling details about their respective private matters. While it was true that they did talk about their relationships sometimes, they spent far more time swapping fashion tips, talking about their art jobs, and even collaborating on projects. The brunette had never had a friend who was also in the art world before.
Over the past several weeks, intimacy between her, Pyrrha and Ruby had been growing a lot more common, whether it be between only two, or all three of them. It was more passionate - sometimes incredibly so - boundaries were fading, and overall, they were just more in tune with each other. And as Coco very-quickly learned, intimacy could come at any moment, so long as consent was given. Her partners had even started bringing her into the worship room, or so it was called, for more... special nights that occurred every so often. It was sort of a combination of a shrine to the Spring Maiden and a more romantically-styled bedroom. According to Pyrrha, Spring embodied love, sexuality, and fertility, so that second bedroom was designed as such. A larger, four-poster bedroom that was lower to the ground, looking fit for royalty, tan carpet, ornate Mistrali rugs, rich mahogany wardrobes and dressers, and blood-red walls covered in tapestries. Then, when it was in use, candles and incense. Of course, Coco practically forgot about all of that when Pyrrha first opened the closet, as inside, every toy she could possibly imagine was on display on shelves. That was a lot to take in. Quite literally with some of them.
The first time the brunette was brought in, Ruby and Pyrrha essentially served her, which translated to them completely focusing on her for the entire session. While their first time together in the master bathroom shower was more exploratory, their first time in the worship room as a trio was tearing Coco apart. It was safe to say she was a tad sore the next morning, and extremely weak below the waist.
Around a quarter of the time that Coco and Ruby were alone, just chilling in the apartment, and the former was in the mood, she went straight into role-playing as her younger partner's mistress. Now that the old ball and chain is gone... shall we pursue our grand affair? Coco would say, usually earning a blush from Ruby. Sure, it was a little silly, but they enjoyed themselves just fine. Although the first few times Ruby was relatively confused when her partner began, she eventually started getting just as into it, sometimes even more. There were even a few instances when Pyrrha would find them and 'punish' them for it, and that was... just incredible.
On this particular day, Pyrrha had walked through the front door of the apartment to find her two partners excitedly, and rather heatedly, making out on the living room couch, with Ruby on top, and while they were both completely shirtless. They were so into it that they did not even notice the sound of the door closing, nor the redhead walking right over to them, arms crossed as she silently waited. It was not until Ruby broke their passionate kiss to attack Coco's bare chest with her mouth that she realized her wife was standing right next to them, leading her to freeze then let out a yelp, which caused the brunette to finally open her eyes and realize the same.
"Oh, hey, Pyr. Didn't hear you come in." Coco greeted with a slightly dazed smile and a blush. Her brain might have been a bit fuzzy due to what she and Ruby were just doing. Hell, her hands were still slipped under the younger woman's sweatpants, firmly holding her rear.
Pyrrha merely sighed at the sight before her. "Ruby, sweetheart, I feel that I must remind you that we had specific plans for this evening, and we were supposed to get to them when I returned home."
Ruby and Coco then got up to sit regularly on the couch, the former blushing deeper than she already had been. "Sorry, Pyr, we got a little distracted thanks to someone." She defended, nudging the brunette, who grinned.
"Guilty." Coco proudly admitted, raising a hand for emphasis. "Forgot my shirt in our room, and I might've teased Rubes a little too much. But I mean come on, she's adorable when she's horny."
Surprisingly, Pyrrha let out a chuckle. "I suppose that is quite true." She agreed, causing her wife to blush even deeper, before she leaned down to give her two partners each a sort, yet brief kiss. "Now, both of you redress yourselves. We have an important topic to discuss." She requested, not even needing to say please. Both Coco and Ruby quickly jumped up off the couch and hurried back to the master bedroom, the latter snatching her T-shirt and sports bra off the floor before following the brunette. A couple minutes later, the pair returned - now fully dressed - and joined Pyrrha in the living room, Coco in the arm chair, and the married couple on the couch.
"Before we begin, I will preface by saying that this is not meant to pressure in any way. I believe we can all agree that our relationship is comfortable and fluid as is. However, Ruby and I wanted to discuss another option in case you were interested." Pyrrha explained, much to the confusion of her partner.
Coco only furrowed her brow in response, wondering what exactly the redhead meant. "Interested in what?" She inquired, before chuckling a bit. "Only time I've ever felt pressured is when you're on top." She joked, causing Ruby to giggle.
"In Mistral, marriage is more like a commitment to build a family." Pyrrha continued. "To some, it's between two people exclusively, but to others, it's more fluid, a focal point between lovers that will naturally grow over time."
Coco kept her brow furrowed, still not understanding. "What exactly are you gettin' at? Our whole thing already grew when you guys accepted me."
Pyrrha shared a look with her wife before looking back at the brunette. "Well, we thought it would be an appropriate next step... to get a marriage certificate for the three of us." She informed with a warm smile.
At first, Coco just blinked, confused by the suggestion. "I uh, I dunno, Pyr. I couldn't be happier bein' with you two, and you know I find the whole open love thing hot and all, but... I've never really been one for religion and all that."
Pyrrha simply shook her head. "It's not about religion, Coco. You're not just a fling, you're more than a girlfriend and you're certainly not a mistress, as much as you like to joke about it, or how often you roleplay as one. You're part of our family." She promised. "We want you to know- and the world to know, that you're of equal importance in this relationship, and to be afforded that respect."
Coco... did not know what to say. For a brief time, she merely stared at the women in front of her in disbelief. "You guys... wanna marry me?"
Ruby just shrugged. "Could be a marriage if you want, or we could go to the courthouse and sign some papers, then have a little party to celebrate." She suggested with a smile. "Or we could just not do any of that. Depends what you're up for. I kinda think marriage is a tad outdated anyway."
Coco barely had to think about that. "If I had to pick, I prefer the courthouse option, but before anything else... I feel like this is goin' a bit fast." She admitted, looking elsewhere for a moment. "I mean, I've only been with you guys for... what, a couple months now?" Probably less than that. "Maybe we can come back to... such a big topic in a year or so... Y'know, make sure we're all still good and happy by then." Talking about marriage so soon was... honestly a little overwhelming. There was still a fair amount of anxiety and uncertainty in Coco's mind. It just... did not feel right to jump to such a huge step right now.
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Ruby burst with a huge smile.
Coco had to hold back a laugh, almost forgetting that her younger partner was so good at brightening the mood. "Not so fast, Big Red. We're talkin' about marriage here, so you've gotta pop the question first."
So, in true Ruby fashion, Ruby practically jumped off the couch and got down on one knee. "Coco Adel, would you do us the honour... of revisiting the topic of marriage next year?" She proposed, through giggling.
Coco struggled to keep a straight face. "Ruby and Pyrrha Nikos, I will do you the honour of revisiting that topic next year." She happily agreed, before the three of them burst into laughter a few moments later. Once they were a little calmer, Ruby hopped up to wrap Coco in a tight hug, which was quickly joined by Pyrrha. The trio remained their for a time, enjoying the embrace, but then the younger two felt the redhead separate.
"Now that that's settled, you two may return to what you were doing if you so desire, while I begin preparing dinner." Pyrrha commented with a warm smile. Ruby seemed rather excited about that option.
Coco sure did hit the jackpot with those two.
If there was a better way to wake up than doing so while cuddled up to her partner, Cinder would love to know. Well, perhaps if they were both nude. That might have made it a little better.
It was the late morning, and she was currently on top of Raven, head atop her large, soft cleavage, as the pair relaxed on the great room couch, watching TV, after having fallen asleep there the previous night. The couple had not even changed into their pyjamas. Although, Cinder was not really paying attention to the show that was playing. Instead, she was thinking about some of the even that had occurred recently. Most notably, how Yang told Raven and then her a few days ago about how she wanted to further her education.
Honestly, Cinder thought it was a great idea, figuring that her friend would make a wonderful cook, and Weiss a fantastic businesswoman... or whatever she decided to do that was not scooping ice cream. She had to smile to herself at the thought. Maybe she and Raven will get discounts at whatever restaurant Yang ended up working at, or even owning. That would sure be a nice perk.
Thoughts of the recent renovations to The Perch also circled Cinder's mind, as they had been quite the process over the past while. It began with her officially becoming a partner in Raven's business, which allowed her to take the lead on many of the changes. Of course her coworkers were incredibly happy for her - as well as over the fact that the bar was getting renovated - but Yang might have been a little envious, since she was already the assistant manager, or assistant to the manager, as the blonde liked to joke.
There were a number of things that they had done to the bar, starting with getting the old, wooden floors refinished. After that, they got the admittedly-dim lighting redone, a completely new countertop for the bar, new tabletops, a brand-new sound system, and a better TV for sports. Once everything was finished, it almost looked like a different bar at first glance. But that was not all. They also had the outside of the place redone, making the building look brand new. Raven even brought up the idea of having a little reopening celebration after the renovations were complete, which then gave the bar a boost in popularity. Things became busier after that, but it was not too bad. Except on big sports game nights. Those were rough.
But Cinder did not care in the slightest. In fact, she liked the busyness. She liked working with family, being able to talk to someone familiar all the time, and not having any strict deadlines to worry about.
Simply put, she loved her job.
Though there was one other thing that was on her mind. How... incredibly strange it felt to not have Emerald's ring around her neck. Something that had practically been a part of her since her soulmate died. Cinder almost felt... bare without it, as if a piece of her was missing. But... she also knew that the ring was safe... Safe with Emerald...
"Y'know, after Tai and Sum, I never thought I'd ever come back to this... Cuddling in the morning with someone I love." Suddenly came Raven's voice, her body thrumming with the silky sound.
"Neither did I." Cinder agreed, adjusting herself so that she could look up at her partner. "So I guess the Maidens smiled down on us both."
Raven just chuckled at the comment. "You've been hangin' around Pyrrha too much."
Cinder groaned, letting her face fall into the older woman's chest for a few moments. "Don't remind me."
Reaching up with one hand, Raven patted her partner on the head. "Look at you, makin' friends with the family matriarch. Next she'll be inviting you to orgies and spa dates."
Cinder only scoffed at such a ridiculous idea. "Please, the only one I want seeing me without clothes is you, Rave." She promised, poking her stomach for emphasis.
"Oh yeah? What about Glyn?" Raven wondered, levelling a sly smirk down at her partner.
"I know we've joked about that in the past, but don't tempt me." Cinder requested. Hell, the couple joked about it with Glynda, and she seemed... surprisingly okay the idea of sleeping with them, so long as they bought her dinner first. That would certainly be an... interesting experience. Although, not one that she would be against if it ever came up as a serious option.
"I bet she'd be into it." Raven commented, smirk not fading.
"You're fixating on this." Cinder noted, raising her brow in suspicion, and getting the feeling that her partner's interest in such an experience was a little more than her own.
"I'm just statin' facts over here." Raven shrugged.
"Should I be worried for the sanctity of our relationship?" Cinder inquired, adjusting her position to sit atop the older woman's thighs, so that she could skeptically stare down into her eyes.
"I don't think either of us have any sanctity to worry about." Raven mentioned with a chuckle.
Cinder just rolled her eye. "Oh, how horrible."
"I know, Summer will be so sad." Raven agreed.
"So does that mean I should expect an wild orgy over a marriage proposal?" Cinder wondered, somewhat genuinely. She had never been part of the former before, and had admittedly wondered what it would be like.
"I was thinking of just whipping it out on the spot actually." Raven informed with a slight grin.
Cinder quirked her brow, as that statement could mean one of two things in the current context. "A ring or our favourite toy?" She asked, not exactly having an issue with either.
Surprisingly, Raven did not shoot back with a joke or sly remark. Instead, she adjusted herself, reaching down into her jeans pocket, before pulling out a small, black box a few moments later. It took so much longer than the younger woman wanted to admit to figure out what her partner was holding out for her. "Well, one of 'em might fit in here." Raven answered with a warm smile.
Cinder... was speechless, her eye widening as she merely stared at the small box. She had been at a loss for words plenty of times over the course of their relationship - most notably when they initially brought out the L word, and at several points during their first time making love - but this... Staring at that little box in her partner's hand, one that came along with a very specific, and incredibly important question... It was... overwhelming...
"I thought a lot about actually proposing, y'know, makin' special plans and all that, probably a whole day out've it, but then I started overthinkin' everything, and figured I'd just ask..." Raven explained, before trailing off, a blush tinting her cheeks. "You wanna get married?"
Cinder had to take a few moments to process that. She even reached up to pinch herself on instinct to make sure that she was not dreaming. It took even longer for her to formulate a coherent response. "I... I'm not sure, honestly." Cinder eventually admitted, much to the confusion of her partner. "I don't think I can say yes, but I'm absolutely not saying no. It's more... I don't quite have the energy right now." She clarified. "A lot has happened in my life this past year, and I want some time to relax, and let things truly settle before moving onto another stage."
After a moment, Raven smiled again. "Well, when you change your mind, this'll be waitin' for you." She informed, reaching up with her other hand to open the small, black box, revealing a relatively simple gold band with an onyx stone held between two stylized heels.
Cinder could not believe her eye, both because the ring was so beautiful, and... the fact that Raven already bought it. She... really wants to marry me...
"I-I didn't really plan on gettin' this so far in advance, but I walked past a jeweler the other day, saw this on display, and just thought... it'd look nice on your finger... So y'know, I went in and got it." Raven explained, blush growing deeper. "I'm sorry, I know it's too soon, but hey, I love you."
Cinder felt tears beginning to pool in her eye as her partner spoke, and a smile spread across her face. But hearing the last point, she shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for, I'm happy, Rave. I'm happy that you're thinking that far ahead, happy that you love me that much..."
Putting the ring box aside, Raven reached up to gently grasp the younger woman's hands. "C'mon, not counting my daughter, I love you more than anything else on the gods damn planet. And when you're ready, I can't wait to marry the fuck outta you." She proudly declared, earning a soft chuckle from Cinder. "Just uh, don't tell Sum about this until we actually get engaged, or else she'll become insufferable."
Cinder could not help but grin at that last part. "But that sounds like fun, Rave. You're so cute when you're embarrassed."
Raven skeptically quirked a brow. "Oh am I?" She questioned. "Well if you even think about it, that fine ass of yours is gonna be sleepin' alone on this couch for a week." She threatened, only earning another chuckle from her partner. Instead of responding immediately, Cinder slowly leaned down until her face was a couple inches above the older woman's, before meeting her in a soft kiss.
"As if you could handle one night without this fine ass."
"Hey there, Emerald. It's me, Nora."
"Sorry I haven't been around lately. Vernal asked me to move in with her, and... the past couple weeks have been really exciting and busy with the move. But I'm here now! I've got my cleaning supplies, a new bottle of all-natural soap- you know, the stuff that I ran out of last time, and I'm ready to go!"
...
"Part of me can't believe I've been comin' here for so long. Cindy still doesn't know... I never told her I started doing this after she said she'd never been here... But I know she wouldn't want me to. She wouldn't want me spending my time cleaning any of the graves here. But I can't help it. Seeing yours so dirty made me look around at the others, and they were all dirty too. No one ever came to clean them. So I thought fine, I'll do it myself. I like the challenge. Doin' this just scratches the charity itch, y'know? And it makes me happy, knowing I'm doing something to help."
...
"But enough about me. I bet you're happy Cindy visited you a few weeks ago. I hope you two had a nice chat, and I hope she caught you up on everything that's happened, 'cause I'm sure you're tired of hearin' it second-hand from little ol' me. She's finally living her life, moving forward... I know you'd be really proud of her, I know I am."
...
"You know, it's funny that helpin' Cindy brought me to so many amazing people. 'Cause of her, I've made proper friends, I met Vernal, my wonderful girlfriend, I even reconnected with Summer, who's now my boss..."
"I'm... part of a real family, all thanks to Cindy."
"Thank you for saving her..."
Author's Note: Well, there you have it. The series finale of One Last Chance. Thank you so much for reading.
It's kind of crazy to think about, give how it started in 2018, but don't worry, there's still one thing left: the epilogue.
Stay tuned. :)
