Kicking off her shoes at the door and dropping her tote art bag of papers and art supplies next to the coat rack, Lapis was smiling ear to ear as she stepped into her house. She could feel her chest still bubbling from earlier. Stretching her back and tossing her keys onto the counter as she strode past the kitchen, the teacher wasted little time flopping onto the couch and letting out a breathy laugh as the events of the day played again and again like a video on loop in her mind. Despite the less than favorable way it started, with the hangover and wreckage her classroom was in, (she was going to kill whoever trashed the art room, mark her words), the teacher could say for sure that the rest of the day after school had ended had been amazing.
If the woman was to be completely honest; it had been a total surprise, though far from an unpleasant one, when Peridot had shown up at her classroom door after school ended. The woman had been all but certain that her student was going to decline her offer, it was a logical thing to do considering who they were, and had been ready to just head on home and heat something up for a small meal rather than head out to eat with someone. But, oh how glad she was when the tiny blonde had shown up and taken her up on offer for lunch.
She'd taken her to The Barn , one of Lapis' favorite, if not the favorite, places to go and eat. The place was close to school, so Lapis had been eating there quite often since she'd moved to Beach City after college. Since it was already a bit past three, and most people had already had lunch, there weren't too many people in the cafe. They'd ordered their drinks and food; Peridot even took Lapis up on her suggestion on what to eat, and they spent the time in there chatting in there as they waited and ate.
Though she doubted that Peridot had picked up on most of the flirting Lapis sent her way, she was sure that the blonde understood at least some of it if her body language and blushes were any sorts of a hint.
God, she was just adorable when her face turned up all red like that whenever Lapis said something, like how she was cute, or just did some playful teasing. Lapis loved the feeling she got deep inside knowing that she was the reason Peridots face was flushed and why she was squirming where she sat. It was sent electricity coursing through her a thrill of excitement up her spine.
Sure, she could admit that this probably wasn't the best kind of thing for a teacher to be thinking when it comes to her student. Oh, who was Lapis kidding? This was exactly the kinds of thoughts a teacher shouldn't have for her students. If anyone caught onto what Lapis was doing, if another teacher, or even worse, the principal herself found out then Lapis could very well lose her job for the unprofessionalism and indecency of her actions. Honestly, she wouldn't put it past the school board to blow this whole thing out of proportion and make it seem more than what it actually is. It was the sort of thing people did if they didn't like what was happening. But, well, when did the risks ever really stop Lapis from doing something she wanted to do?
"It's not like I'm doing anything bad here," Lapis mused to herself as she moved on the couch to lay down, reaching for the remote to turn on the TV. The channel was still on the same one she'd left it at last night, and it was playing some documentary with some British guy talking about foxes. Lapis watched the show with mild interest, though still thinking on the topic at hand. "When's a little playful teasing ever hurt anyone? Rose jokes with the students all the time, and no one's fired her for having students crushing on her."
Besides, it's not like she intended to date Peridot or have some kind of illicit affair with her like something out of a trashy romance novel. All Lapis wanted to do was mess around with the girl, tease her and maybe flirt with her a bit. Having lunch was something friends did all the time. Regardless of that; they were both consenting adults here and able to make choices for themselves. No one was being forced or coerced into something they didn't want to do.
Not that Lapis would particularly mind dating Peridot. The girl was cute, and she was pretty fun to be around, and it wasn't like the age gap was that big as far as she was concerned. The gap between her parents' was twice that of her and Peridot, and she and Jasper had been a four-year difference, Hell, Lapis had technically been a minor when they got together and their relationship lasted a long while. A lot longer than it should have been, but the ages of them had never been one of the problems they had between them. Unlike Lapis when she started dating Jasper; Peridot was a legal adult. So, it wasn't like Lapis would be dating someone underage if they did end up in a relationship. Not that Lapis had any desire to be in a relationship with Peridot, or in a relationship with anyone at all at the moment. Dates though were something she was open to.
Actually, her lunch date with Peridot had been one of the better ones she'd had in a good while. Sure, she probably shouldn't call it a date , but, it had felt like one. A pretty damn good one if Lapis was being honest. It was adorable how Peridot would sometimes slip into a comfort around her, but at the next moment be all anxious and nervous at the slightest smile or remark from Lapis. The woman hadn't lied when she told Peridot that she was cute.
She almost felt envious of whoever wound up being lucky enough to date the girl.
"Eh, well, what can you do about it?" She told herself with a shrug as she got comfortable on the couch and tried to focus on the documentary on the TV some more. It was almost interesting.
If Peridot found someone to call her own and was happy with that someone, then Lapis would back off. She'd have to, even if she didn't particularly want to stop what she'd come to enjoy. She wasn't into the business of destroying relationships. That was crossing a line that she had no interest in doing.
As though sensing her owners growing agitation at the current train of thoughts, Malachite let out a loud bark as she jumped onto the couch. Laying down with the majority of her weight on Lapis' chest, the dog panted and looked up at her with dark, loving eyes. It was enough to bring a smile to Lapis' face as she began scratching her pet behind the ears and giving her a loving rub down.
"Hey there, Mala." Lapis greeted her pet who barked in return, letting out a bit of cooing and 'who's a good girl?' to the large beast who had her pinned to the couch as she snuggled up to the teacher.
With how big she was, it was hard to believe that Malachite was just only a little over a year old. Just a year ago and Lapis could carry her beloved dog in her arms with ease. She could still remember with clarity when she had gotten the bullmastiff who had still been a puppy, and so, so much smaller at the time.
She had been in her final year of college, she and Jasper had still been living together with her girlfriend making an hour commute between work and home each day for her job at the high school as a gym teacher. It had been one of the rare pleasant days between them; the sun was shining, the weather was nice and they hadn't had a fight at all yet. No screaming matches, no insults, swears or hits. In fact, Jasper had made Lapis breakfast, they had gone out for lunch together after she'd finished her classes. An actual date, they rarely went on dates anymore. And now they were just now wandering around the shopping district, holding hands as they walked down the bustling city street.
"Okay, Jasper, are you going to tell me what this surprise of yours is?" Lapis asked as she walked with her girlfriend.
The large woman only grinned and shook her head, tugging Lapis forward along with her so the blue haired student wouldn't fall behind. Her grip was a bit tight, but, that was usual for Jasper, she always held onto things tightly. It was still gentle compared to how she could and had gripped Lapis before.
They continued to walk for a few more minutes before Jasper came to a halt in front of a small shop. She'd stopped so suddenly that Lapis almost bumped into her and had to take a moment to regain her balance at that. The glare she gave Jasper lacked any heat to it and fell quickly at the eager grin that the older woman had on her face as she stared at the store they had stopped at. Curious, Lapis turned her head to look up at it and felt confusion swirl up inside her.
"An animal shelter?" she repeated and glanced at Jasper, "What are we doing here?" She wasn't sure what the expect from Jasper, her reasons could be vast.
"What do you think we're doing here?" Jasper responded as she tugged Lapis alongside her as she marched into the building. The bell at the door jingled as they walked in and a woman at the desk gave a quick greeting to them which Jasper ignored but Lapis at least gave a smile to her in return.
She let herself be dragged through the place, passing kennels and kennels until Jasper once again came to a sudden stop at one batch of kennels near the back of the place. She let go of Lapis hand, which had begun to hurt a bit from her strong grip. Lapis subtly massaged it as Jasper held an arm out to the kennels in front of them. "Alright, Lapis, take your pick," she declared loudly, earning a few barks in response through the place.
Lapis stared at her and then at the puppies in front of her, before looking back up at Jasper in pure confusion. "Pick one…?" she repeated, not sure if she was understanding her quite right, "Jasper, are you serious, we're getting a pet?" did their apartment even allow pets?
There was a flash of annoyance in Jasper's eyes, and Lapis knew she was starting to run the woman's patience thin, "Do I have to spell it out for you?" she growled, "Pick a damn pup already!"
With that, Lapis turned to the kennels, kneeling down on the floor as she found herself staring at all the small bundles of fur, eager and hopeful to be picked that day. It had her heart swell, whose wouldn't when faced with so many puppies in need of a home? A part of her wanted to pick them all, but, she knew that she couldn't. She and Jasper couldn't afford to take care of an entire litter of puppies, Hell, she wasn't sure if they could afford and manage just one. But, Jasper wanted them to get a dog it seemed, and she was being nice enough to let Lapis be the one to pick it out.
She wasn't sure what breed they were, but, that didn't matter to her. Her eyes roved through the puppies before finding one in the corner, not quite up at the front begging for attention like the others. It wasn't a runt, and maybe it was just a bit shy. She watched the puppy growl at the others if they came near and then nodded her head.
"That one," Lapis pointed to the puppy in the corner.
"You sure?" Jasper asked, crouching down beside her to watch the puppy when Lapis nodded, she shrugged and got up, presumably to grab an employee so they could take the puppy home.
Jasper had handled all the paperwork and other bits of business required before they could take the dog home, but, when they got home they had a small dog running around the house eager to explore. The employees had said that the dog was a girl, and on the way home the couple had agreed to name her Malachite.
When they got the dog, Lapis had thought they were going to share the responsibilities. They'd take turns feeding her, bathing her, would take turns cleaning up after her and taking her for walks. But, it ended up being Lapis who did everything, just like always. Once in awhile Jasper would feed Malachite or take her for a walk, but, the responsibility fell on Lapis most days. It irritated her, sure, but Lapis had quickly grown attached to her new dog, and honestly adored the puppy.
Whenever Lapis would ask for help, ask Jasper to do something, anything, she'd just get a snap of a reply. About how she spent all day at work and deserved to relax and wind down instead of being saddled with more work. Completely ignoring that Lapis was spending most of her time at work or in college and was just as stressed as her girlfriend.
When things inevitably blew up between them for the last time, and Lapis decided she was done dealing with Jasper and her anger and lashing outs, Lapis packed her bags and left. She'd moved in with a college friend who was majoring in theater, though his acting and general behavior was a bit… melodramatic. He was still a pretty nice guy. He let her be his roommate for the rest of her college term, didn't mind Malachite either. She spent the past months with him until she'd moved to Beach City after being accepted as a new art teacher at the local high school. Sure, she was well aware she was going to be work with Jasper, but, she figured that all the months broken up would have been enough time for Jasper to get over it.
Clearly, it hadn't.
She felt her stomach churning. Her relationship with Jasper had been the only serious relationship she'd ever had in her life. The woman was her first girlfriend and they had dated for almost seven years. All things considered, Lapis was the one who should be having a tough time letting it all go, at least more so than Jasper. It had been years of Hell, for both of them. Thinking about it left a foul taste in her mouth even to this day.
That was probably why she enjoyed being with Peridot so much. The small girl was as different from Jasper as one could be. She was harmless and rather vulnerable in the grand scheme of things, whereas Jasper had been aggressive, dominating and dangerous. Peridot was the last person who'd be any sort of threat or danger, especially to Lapis. She was someone that Lapis could actually let her guard down without worry.
Heaving a sigh, the woman pushed herself up, nudging Malachite to move off of her, "I should probably start work for tomorrow," she mused to herself, though she was thinking of what she could do and say to Peridot tomorrow. Maybe she could get the student to spend time with her during her free period again. More time with the shorty was always welcome as far as Lapis was concerned. Well, she'd just have to wait for tomorrow and see.