ciarawinters

[ciarawinters]

BEEP - aiko :3

23 - a text asking for advice

[Shirleytemple]: Just started dating this really cute ditz but not sure what to do for a date in bumfucknowhere. Any suggestions on what kinda date I should take her on?

[ciarawinters]

BEEP (Beverly/Angel)

9 - a concerned text

[Shirleytemple]: Hey i just found out about your bf. Totally understandable why youve missed so many shifts. Let me know if you need anything k? Glad hes doing better from what Ive heard.

[ciarawinters]

BEEP - Charlie

28 - a sarcastic text

[Shirleytemple]: If one more drunk fuck asks when Im getting on stage I might need to hire you :)

[ciarawinters]

BEEP (Art)

29 - A heartbreaking text

(sent before their talk) [Shirleytemple]: Where are you?

[Shirleytemple]: I know its late and have no clue if your even have a computer

[Shirleytemple]: I wont be mad. Please come home tomorrow

[ciarawinters]

Ciara frowned when Aiko's face dropped, feeling like the world's biggest asshole. Even when the other woman giggled, she still berated herself for making Aiko feel horrible for one moment too many. "Dammit," she grumbled. "I should've just answered your stupid question instead of making you feel worse when you were already nervous. Aiko, I'm so so sorry. I'll work on not being a dick, honest." If it at least toward the other. Seeing that disappointment had been too painful.

With a frustrated sigh she went back to gripping both of Aiko's hands, leaning to rest her forehead against the other's shoulder. "I'm not great at the whole spewing poetry thing. But I really do like you Ko. You make me smile and laugh, and it makes me wanna do things to keep making you do that."

Her face drops at first, eyes widening in shock but then the later comment eases the tension she'd been feeling and she gives a goofy little giggle. "Oh. Right," She giggles again, giddy and maybe even a little embarrassed and unsure of herself, cheeks flushed, unsure what to do with herself or where to put her hands (though she knows where she'd like to put them, of course). "I, um. I had a plan coming in here and I was gonna confess and everything. I just, um. You're just great, you know? Like, you're everything I admire and I just kinda got nervous."

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She shook her head with a laugh. "I was wearing all white and kept my tongue out. Not really setting myself up for success." Her expression turned softer as she reached out to take Charlie's hand. "Hey, you can always take however long as you need Char. Just as long as you know I'll always be here when you're ready."

Charlie smiled a bit and let out a laugh, shaking her head. “Your Boo costume was not stupid, everyone who didn’t get it was.” Then she saw the concern in Ciara’s face at her choice of words, so she quickly shook her head again. “No no, I meant like all the stuff about dad too. I should have told you right away. I’m…not great at talking about the bad shit right away. It took so long for me to even talk about the bad shit in high school. I’m sorry it takes me so long to process it and tell you, I’m working on that, I won’t do it again.”

[ciarawinters]

A small blush found its way onto her cheeks. God, why were all the McVries so observant at the worst times? "Well. Sort of," she shrugged. "I like her and all, but haven't really found the right moment to say shit."

"Trying? You mean I wasn't successful?" Violet teases right back. She steps back enough to give Ciara some room — she knows that it's what she herself needs after a moment like that, so it stands to reason that Ciara might, too. "Oh, I see. I wasn't successful because you're already spoken for! I should've known."

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She smiled into the kiss as Aiko returned it, though at the question Ciara rolled her eyes. "No dumbass, I just felt like kissing you for no reason." Shaking her head, she let go of one of Aiko's hands to brush some hair out of the other woman's face. "Yeah, I like you. A stupid fucking amount, actually."

Aiko's so aware of what Ciara's doing and it's apparent in the way that she looks up quickly when she notices that she's moving from around the desk. Her heart is hammering in her chest when Ciara kisses her — she wastes no time in responding, though, pressing closer and squeezing Ciara's hands, partly to convince herself that it's real. She didn't fuck it up. She pulls away some, a giddy little smile on her face. "Does this mean you like me?"

[ciarawinters]

The confusion and concern melted away at Aiko's quiet admission. She planned on waiting, but apparently there was no reason to. Getting up from the desk, she walked around to where the other was standing and gently took her hands. "You look amazing, Ko. Fucking beautiful." With that Ciara leaned in to capture the other's lips. Actions always spoke louder than words.

Okay, this is definitely not what she was trying to accomplish when she walked into Ciara's office and now she definitely feels stupid. "No, no! You don't have to apologize, you didn't say anything wrong." What's she supposed to say, though? Hey, I think you're amazing? I've admired you since the moment I saw you? I look for you in whatever room I'm in? My day is better whenever I get to see you? She chews at her bottom lip anxiously, eyes darting down to her hands where she chips at her nail polish. "I got the dress for you." She says instead, quietly.

[ciarawinters]

Her grip somehow grew tighter. "It's good you're not proud of that shit. Means you're still the Charlie I know and love. The one that got offended when no one got my stupid Boo costume when we were kids. That's my Char." Ciara paused, pulling away as what her sister said clicked. "Wait, a 'lot of things'? Is there more?"

Charlie let out a breath when she hugged her sister tightly, not realizing she’d been holding it in seeing how the other would react. She closed her eyes and a couple tears fell down her cheeks. “It’s not something I’m proud of, after losing Jim I realized I just didn’t want anyone to think of me as someone capable of that anymore,” she sighed. “I’m sorry, I should have told you a lot of things sooner.”

[ciarawinters]

She caught some of the blush, but chalked it up to Aiko being embarrassed by her brashness more than anything. Ciara raised a brow at the shift in the other. "Everything good Ko?" She seemed so happy coming into the office. Was it something she said? "Uh, sorry about the lesbian thing. I was just trying to make you laugh."

Aiko pauses in her twirl at the comment about the book, her cheeks heating up despite herself. God, she feels stupid. How had she gone from being so sure of herself and so confident to acting like a little girl with a crush? She thinks about pressing the issue, maybe asking Ciara to read it to her, but she definitely doesn't have the balls and returns to simply standing before her, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Uh. Maybe? I'm not really sure yet." This definitely had gone a lot better in her head. She shifts, biting at her bottom lip anxiously. "I, um. Thought maybe I'd just wear it out."

[ciarawinters]

As they pulled away Ciara let out a wet laugh. "Are you trying to flirt with me Miss McVries?" It was a tease, but honestly after all that she needed to switch gears.

Violet's certainly not expecting it, though after a moment she returns the embrace, squeezing Ciara a little tighter for a moment. Just for good measure. "Don't mention it. You're okay. I know for a fact he adores you. And besides, you're way too pretty to be sitting here crying." She says firmly, pulling away just enough to push stray hairs out of Ciara's face.

[ciarawinters]

Heart dropping into her stomach, Ciara pulled Charlie into a tight hug. She couldn't lose her too, not after everything they had been through. "Why didn't you tell me sooner Char?" she rasped. The weight of it all had to be unimaginable to carry alone.

Charlie kept her gaze lowered and just nodded, her voice quiet and level. “Yeah. And they’d be justified in doing it.” She didn’t see herself as high and mighty compared to the others she’d met, if anything she knew she had stooped to their level when she felt she had no other choice. “I’m not a good person, I know that. I’m just trying to be moving forward. And all I can do is hope my past doesn’t screw up anything for the people I care about in the future.”

[ciarawinters]

Ciara shook her head with a laugh. "I barely read for shit. This is pretty much it. If there's not hot lesbians banging it out I'm not interested." She flashed Aiko a grin, though it simmered at the other's request. "Oh, uh. It's cute? Definitely looks great on you. Are you thinking of wearing it for a performance?" She'd certainly draw in a crowd with how gorgeous she looked.

Aiko looks over the cover, brows raising even though she wasn't sure what it could be about. "That's neat. I always wanted to be a better reader," She thinks about asking Ciara to read it to her but it dies on her lips the moment the confidence she'd entered the room with dies, too. Now Aiko's just tucking her hair behind her ear. "Right. Um, I... wanted to get your opinion on this outfit." It's a lame excuse and she knows it, but she still twirls around to allow Ciara to get a look at the full fit. Nothing crazy, just a little number she'd had custom made.

[ciarawinters]

Biting her lip, Ciara mulled over the other's words before nodding. Without warning she pulled Violet into another hug, this time embracing her far tighter. "Thank you," she murmured. "I really, really needed to hear that."

"He doesn't," Violet says firmly. She pulls back just enough to squeeze Ciara's shoulders, either not picking up on the discomfort or not really caring. "I know my brother. He doesn't blame you. If anything, he blames himself because he's stupid," And she rolls her eyes. "But blaming isn't gonna help anything. We're here, yeah? It is what it is."

[ciarawinters]

Three. But how many of them had friends? Family? Significant others? How many other lives were impacted? "But...couldn't someone kill you and say the same thing?" She asked quietly, trying desperately not to think about how possible of a reality that would be.

Charlie felt awful as she crouched down next to Ciara, but she wasn’t sure if she should touch her sister as much as she wanted to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Ciara…please it feels like so long ago. I know it doesn’t make it better but it was three guys total…Dad’s contacts were testing me. And I only went through with it because they were horrible men. Just like my dad.”

[ciarawinters]

She held up the book, a sapphic novel. "Reading it for the club I'm in. Not half bad so far." Setting it aside, Ciara really looked at the other and her brows furrowed in confusion. "You're not scheduled to perform today?" She even glanced at the calendar, wanting to make sure she didn't get her dates mixed up. Ciara genuinely couldn't think of another reason why Aiko looked so nice and dressed up.

ever since speed dating happened, aiko had told herself that she needed to be more direct and open and honest about how she felt. so what if ciara ended up turning her down? they could still be friends! she felt so confident about it — she'd even touched up her makeup, sprayed on a little of her sweet perfume before heading towards ciara — but the moment she saw ciara, her confidence fizzled out. "hi," aiko greets after a moment. she closes the door behind her, then wonders if she shouldn't have. "what'cha reading?"