Evelyn & Miyabi

Evelyn felt a surge of icy embarrassment. What was Astra thinking?! Surely, one did not go about proclaiming another person's preferences across a dinner table! And then- to fall asleep before handling any potential repercussions?! Miyabi was now sure to invent some excuse to depart imminently, likely scandalized by Astra's blunt line of questioning at her most personal history.

Simultaneously, Miyabi was feeling an icy surge of her own- but one of alarm. Astra knew! She had sensed Miyabi's attraction to her, and Astra had alerted her bodyguard to that fact. The pointed questions about Miyabi's tumultuous and doomed relationship with straight-laced Zhu Yuan had only served to highlight the glaringly obvious: Miyabi was dreaming of kissing Astra as she had once kissed Zhu Yuan. It was now only a matter of moments until Evelyn devised some means to end this meal politely and drive Miyabi away from Astra's divine presence.

Evelyn and Miyabi blushed at each other through the steam of the hot pot. Neither party able to maintain eye contact for longer than a half-second at a time, their eyes dancing around the room, looking pointedly at everything except each other. Then: Both, at near the same moment, lifted the previously scorned cup of soju poured for them by Astra; and, both forsaking their own general sobriety for just tonight, drank in subconscious hope of courage.

But as Miyabi did not leave and Evelyn did not attempt to dismiss her, they both began to calm, reconsider the other, and begin to feel awkwardly responsible for the lingering silence- punctured only by Astra's soft, and somehow cute, snoring. Distracted by Astra, Evelyn gently lifted her own jacket from the back of the chair, cautiously lifting it over her head, and laying it upon Astra's leaning body.

Miyabi watched the movement of Evelyn's arms, the ripples of muscles upon her exposed shoulders, the elegant angles of her jawline, the exquisite lilac of her eyes.

"Forgive her," said Evelyn, breaking the silence, finally meeting Miyabi's wine-red stare. "She doesn't drink all that often, but today was a… interesting day."

"Yes," said Miyabi, relieved to have something to say. But then she felt impelled to say something more, which wasn't her natural inclination- so she searched for something, anything- faltered, and then simply stared at Evelyn in silence.

Evelyn interpreted Miyabi's monosyllabic answer as due to lingering offense for Astra's questions and comments. Perhaps it was best to leave well enough alone, but Evelyn felt impelled to offer apologies.

"I'm sorry about… the personal questions, Miyabi. Not the most enjoyable dinner for you, I imagine."

Miyabi was confused. Was she sending off the wrong signals? "I am enjoying this dinner. I did not mind the questions."

Blinking in mild surprise, Evelyn felt relief. "Oh! Well- good."

Silence regained the table.

They stared at each other again, and the new awkwardness made Evelyn want another drink. She took up the soju bottle and offered it towards Miyabi- and much to her surprise and gratification, Miyabi lifted her tiny glass to accept the pour. Evelyn then poured her own. They both drank again, a sort of silent camaraderie growing. Encouraged, and feeling herself a bit peckish once more, Evelyn raised her chopsticks to gather a tangle of noodles, she dipped the mass into the still simmering broth of the table's central cauldron.

Miyabi watched intently, her eyes focused on how Evelyn's head turned slightly as her mouth opened, how Evelyn's lips closed around the noodles, pursing to…. elegantly… slurp. The noodles flowed quickly out of sight. Miyabi felt a sudden strange jealousy for those noodles, wondering what they might be feeling as they moved between Evelyn's soft lips, squeezed, everything glistening of shared oil and spice. Miyabi suddenly realized that Evelyn was astonishingly beautiful in a way of her own, a sort of tough elegance that was a contrast to Astra's bright softness.

Hoshimi Miyabi suddenly saw Evelyn. Really saw her. As a disciplined soul, like Miyabi was. A trained fighter, like Miyabi was. As a person who suddenly now made Miyabi's cheeks hot and her heart excited, just as Astra had done earlier tonight. But did Evelyn belong to Astra? And Astra to her? Was there any point in Miyabi's new, simmering realizations? Or had she best discard them now as impossible fancies.

As she considered this, Miyabi's body silently tingled with a needful hunger that surprised her, arriving seemingly from nowhere, and having nothing to do with food.

As Evelyn chewed, her attention shifted to Astra, who was still stubbornly asleep against her left side. The superstar's face was not at its most glamorous when scrunched up against Evelyn's forearm, mouth slightly ajar in a drunken snooze, more than a few strands of her own hair dangerously near her mouth. Forgetting for a moment that Miyabi was on the other side of the table, Evelyn abandoned her chopsticks and reached over with her hand to pull the offending hair away- then her fingers traced down the side of Astra's face with fond admiration. Such a beautiful, perfect being was Astra Yao…

Then Evelyn remembered someone across the table was staring at her. She looked to see Miyabi watching stoically, but her cheeks were very rosy. Was Miyabi a bit drunk, too? No, she'd only had the two glasses, Evelyn was pretty sure. Miyabi must have taken a bite of the spicy hot pot when Evelyn wasn't looking. That must be it.

"Are you two together?" said Miyabi suddenly, the thought suddenly bursting forth from where it had been simmering excitedly under new heat.

Evelyn probably could have expected that question to arrive at some moment. But the sudden bluntness of Miyabi's query shocked her. Not only because it was Void Hunter Miyabi asking it, but also because the answer was new and fresh and fragile and sensitive. Evelyn had only recently realized she was 'together' with Astra, and neither of them had ever said it as such between them- and it was only between them, this knowledge. Answering Miyabi now would be the first admission, the first utterance of their private secret in the air of the world. And by letting it out, might it vanish? Like a magic spell when the charmed box is opened?

In that moment of Evelyn's hesitation, she stared into Miyabi's eyes: they were wine red, like a light-bodied syrah, gleaming out from under the cover of precisely straight bangs. They didn't waver, but instead focused swiftly on their point of interest and fixated upon it- as they were fixated upon Evelyn at this very moment. A passing car outside the restaurant splashed the window with its headlights, causing the tapetum of Miyabi's vulpine eyes to golden ever so briefly, impressing Evelyn with the distinct impression of a predator peering out at her from just within the brush.

Evelyn was stirred slightly by the feeling of being hunted… some ancient, instinctive emotional spice. As a bounty hunter, Evelyn had spent a great deal of time seeking out people she did not particularly like. To be the prey herself was a novel concept.

But a hunt did not occur if there was no hope for a meal. Could she entice the fox?

In a moment of boldness, Evelyn decided to match Miyabi's bluntness with her own. But… how did one say this sort of thing out loud? Without it just seeming a crude proposition? But if Evelyn didn't reach out now, she feared Miyabi would never begin to entertain the possibilities Evelyn deeply wanted her to entertain. Her mind raced unsuccessfully for the words, and eventually, Evelyn felt impelled by the remorseless timer of back-and-forth conversation to voice an answer:

"Yes, we are together, but… someone else could be together with us, too."

Evelyn and Miyabi blinked at each other- Evelyn in surprise at her own audacity, and Miyabi at receiving the answer she had dreaded: 'Yes'- but also an unexpected and mildly cryptic caveat: together with them, too?

Miyabi's mind churned with the unfamiliar concept: those two… but perhaps… me, too? Two and too equals… three? We? …what? And: …Really?

Another awkward silence fell over the table.

Evelyn fought to keep her expression neutral and her breathing even as she began to believe the overture had failed and she was sitting amidst a disaster. Meanwhile, Miyabi's mind was entirely occupied with a new sort of world view she had never considered before now ((Threeple? Throuple?)). They were both saved from the silence by the arrival of the waitress bearing the bill. Evelyn deftly claimed it and paid.

"Thank you for your patronage," said the waitress with a bow. "Please take your time."

Somewhat anxiously, Evelyn and Miyabi met gazes again. Miyabi felt like she was next to say something, anything, but what did someone say to a statement like that? It was beyond her, and though she did not know it herself, it was likely a situation beyond most…

Evelyn feared that Miyabi's silence was likely Miyabi's answer. It was doomed, then; Astra's fanciful idea of an unconventional situation- or at least it was with Void Hunter Hoshimi Miyabi. And when Evelyn thought of it like that, it seemed more and more absurd. Hoshimi Miyabi? Of the Hoshimi Family? Really? But for a moment, there had seemed like a strange and bizarre hope… like something out of a fae fantasy.

"Our residence is near here. I should carry Astra back and put her to bed," said Evelyn, gazing at Astra still sleeping against her. Sorry. She'd blown it.

Evelyn looked back to Miyabi and tried to smile politely, but to Miyabi, Evelyn's smile seemed wanly disappointed. Miyabi blinked at her and one of her ears twitched. Evelyn wasn't sure what that meant. She suspected Miyabi's ears were a hint at the woman's emotions, but Evelyn did not yet know how to decode them.

"Yes," said Miyabi, finally, blinking a few times as she did so. She realized Evelyn was set to depart, and so Astra, too. Miyabi was intensely curious about Evelyn's statement, and perhaps there was no proper thing to say; but it was certainly wrong to not say anything at all!

"But what you are talking about…" said Miyabi, curious. "Do you mean… me?"

A budding ember of hope reignited in Evelyn's heart. But of course she meant Miyabi! Was all the denial Evelyn had been reading in Miyabi actually been perfectly reasonable hesitation and shock? Evelyn took a deep breath as her mood buoyed back up on a wave of relief and a new, tense excitement.

"Yes, Miyabi. I do. So… would you want to… walk with me? With us- I mean. Miyabi?" said Evelyn, trying to restrain her own eagerness. "We might have a nightcap at our flat. Or coffee… I am not yet tired."

Miyabi blinked at Evelyn. Her other ear twitching. "Yes. I will go. I, too, am not yet tired."

Evelyn smiled at her, which to Miyabi appeared as a very soft upturn of the corner of Evelyn's mouth. Miyabi found all of Evelyn's expressions to be somewhat muted, as if her volume dial was turned way down. More so than even Yanagi.

Meanwhile unbeknownst to herself, Miyabi's near expressionless face was far more a quandary for both Evelyn and Astra.

"Astra, it's time to go home…" said Evelyn, softly. "Can you stand?"

Astra's eyes furrowed, and her eyes squinted closed more deeply as Evelyn stood up, disturbing her sleep. Astra's perfect lips scrunched up in a cute grimace.

"Carry me? Please, Eve?"

Evelyn sighed softly. It was a foolish and childish request, and selfish to boot. Honestly, was she five years old?! But… well… Evelyn found the idea of carrying Astra home in her arms somehow delightful. And Astra would have trouble walking on her own, since she'd emptied two entire soju bottles all by herself- the brat.

So with gentle reverence, Evelyn gathered Astra into her arms, lifting her easily in a princess carry. Astra's upper body was wrapped in Evelyn's coat, but Astra's perfectly pretty legs were entirely bare. The building in which they lived was only two blocks away, but the night was chill and there was something vaguely undignified in a sleeping Astra's thighs being displayed for all to see…

But even as Evelyn debated calling a car to drive them all a few hundred meters, Miyabi wrapped her own coat-like robe around Astra's legs. The starlet was now a mismatched bundle of clothing, but her body was secure against both chill and gawkers alike. Evelyn felt a surge of increased esteem for Miyabi in that moment; the gesture towards Astra the surest path into Evelyn's heart.