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artificialqueens · 2 years ago

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[WIP] Masters of the Scene, Chapter 23 Teaser (Bitney Parent Trap AU) - Veronica

A/N: Hello friends! In honor of WIP Wednesday, here's a little teaser from the next chapter of Masters of the Scene. Warning that if you're not caught up, this is very much a spoiler. XO

***

Bianca brushed a lock of hair out of Courtney’s eyes. A moment of silence passed between them, and Bianca cleared her throat, hoping that she hadn’t made the vibes too heavy. “So…bonding, huh?”

“Right.” Courtney grinned, giggling cutely.

Bianca grinned back, dimples deep, finally feeling confident that everything was okay.

“Did you, um, have enough closet space?” Courtney then asked, clearing her throat again, gesturing behind them to the walk-in. “Because if not, we could-”

“No, it’s fine. And honestly, if anyone ever complains about space in this house, you should punch them in the face.”

“I would never punch you,” Courtney said gravely, adding a coy, “Maybe a…gentle spanking, if you asked nicely.”

“Nice to know that’s on the table,” Bianca told her with a smirk.

Courtney giggled, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“Seriously, the closet’s fine. Thanks for hanging everything. And, um, once I have more stuff, I can always add another dresser or something,” said Bianca.

“I did have another idea,” Courtney said, putting the necklace down carefully on the bureau. “See, when we first built this part of the house, I didn’t have the barn set up yet, so I had an office with a little recording space and editing bay, but…”

Courtney opened a door next to the closet, showing Bianca the adjacent office with a computer desk and bookshelves, and quite a bit of unused space.

“But I don’t use it that much anymore, so if you want…”

“Oh, this is perfect,” Bianca said, stepping inside. “That corner over there has plenty of room for another dresser, some shelves for shoes. And even some hanging racks if we need that.”

“Sure, yeah, we could do that,” Courtney said. “Or…”

Bianca looked at her curiously.

“I mean, it’s been part of the long-term plan for awhile, but before now I didn’t have a reason for it. But if we knock down that wall, we can make the whole office a giant walk-in and dressing room.”

Bianca’s eyes widened in delight. “Are you kidding? Or just talking dirty…?”

A wicked glint flashed in Courtney’s eyes as she reached forward, toying with the silky belt on Bianca’s robe. “With custom shelving…”

Bianca smirked, playing along with a breathy, “Keep going…”

“Racks with clothes sorted by type…length…color…” Courtney’s hands were on her hips now, guiding her backward into the bedroom until her knees hit the bed frame, where she pushed her gently onto her back.

“Uh huh…”

Courtney crawled forward, continuing as her fingers trailed teasingly up Bianca’s thigh, “Floor to ceiling, light-up display shelves for your shoes and handbags…”

Bianca moaned, now only half-kidding as Courtney’s lips found her pulse point, brushing over the tender skin and sending a wave of electricity down her spine. “Fuck…”

Courtney nibbled at her neck, up her jaw, then used one finger to tilt her chin down, leveling a naughty gaze at her. Bianca’s breathing grew ragged as their lips met. She kissed her hungrily, clutching at the loose fabric of her cover-up, wanting nothing more than to rip it away unceremoniously. A warm hand slid up her inner thigh, parting her legs easily.

A whimper fell from her lips as Courtney’s fingers found the edge of her panties.

Then suddenly, without warning, aggressive pounding on the door startled her out of her bliss.

“Hey! Open up!”

They instinctually sprang apart at the noise, panting.

“Ugh,” Bianca groaned good-naturedly, “You didn’t tell me you have kids.”

“Yeah, a couple,” Courtney laughed as the pounding continued.

“Dealbreaker,” Bianca grumbled, pulling her robe closed.

“Sorry.”

“Why’s the door locked?!”

“Just a moment, darlings!” Courtney called, rising from the bed.

“Good call on the lock,” Bianca muttered quietly.

“Not my first rodeo,” Courtney whispered with a wink. She walked to the door and pulled it open, the kids all but falling inside. “Yes?”

“Hi,” Danny said casually, strolling in. Adore followed with a knowing grin on her face.

“Sure, come on in,” Courtney joked, flopping down on the bed.

“Whatcha doin?” Adore asked coyly.

“Talking,” Bianca replied.

“Uh huh, is that what you kids are calling it these days?”

“You know-” Bianca began, a sarcastic comeback on the tip of her tongue, but Courtney put a hand on her leg and cut in.

“Are you guys alright?”

“Yeah, we were just thinking…” Danny said, “Wouldn’t it be fun if we went out somewhere really nice for dinner?”

“Hmmm, what did you have in mind?” Courtney asked, wrapping her arm around Danny’s shoulders.

“Well…” Adore crawled forward on the bed as well, curling up next to Bianca. She patted her on the thigh, saying, “Keep your legs closed. Don’t want to give poor Danny a lesson he’s not ready for.”

“I’m wearing underwear,” Bianca informed her. Sheer, mesh underwear, but they didn’t need to know that.

“Good for you, want a medal?”

“I know all about anatomy,” Danny piped in. “Mum bought me books when I was like 5. They came with little dolls.”

“Gross,” Adore said, wrinkling her nose. “Also, pretty sure looking at a doll is not the same as looking at your own mother’s bush.”

“Once again! I’m wearing underwear! No one’s seeing my bush!” Bianca insisted, though she made sure to clamp her knees together tightly, and put a throw pillow on her lap for extra safety.

Danny looked at Courtney, cringing.

“Yeah, you were embarrassed this morning when I mentioned boobs,” she teased. “They’re gonna talk like that every day.”

“Sorry, bunny,” Bianca said, chagrined. She supposed that the way she spoke to Adore might not always be terribly appropriate for Danny.

“Bunny’s gonna grow up fast,” Adore giggled.

“Can we just get back to the restaurant?” Danny pleaded.

“Oh yeah. We both really like Nobu,” Adore said.

“Ahh, sushi, speaking of vaginas…” Courtney chimed in, making Bianca snort with laughter.

“Mum!” Danny said, looking ten times as horrified as he was before. Clearly, he held Courtney to a much higher standard of appropriateness. Probably justified.

“Sorry,” Courtney gave a cheeky smile that said she wasn’t sorry at all.

#rpdr fanfiction #wip wednesday #bianca del rio #courtney act #bitney #bitney parent trap #teaser #lesbian au #fluff #almost smut #trans character #veronica

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artificialqueens · 2 years ago

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Masters of the Scene, Chapter 25 (Bitney Parent Trap AU) - Veronica

A/N: Hieeee, please enjoy. Thank you to @tumble4rpdr for being a fantastic beta as usual!

Click here for prequels and previous chapters, or here if you’d rather read on AO3.

Chapter Summary: Oh you thought they were done fucking for the night? Lol not so much.

***

It was warm under the covers. Courtney hadn’t slept with anyone else in the bed for a quite awhile—usually her trysts were short-lived, and she never let anyone stay the night, for fear of an awkward encounter with Danny in the morning. And honestly, even when Danny was away visiting Bianca, or when she was traveling for a speaking engagement, she didn’t want anyone to stay. She told herself it was because she was just so independent, such a free spirit, that being tied down or having expectations placed on her was the last thing she wanted. Which may have been equal parts true and utter bullshit.

It just never felt right with anyone else. She supposed that part of it was the way she and Bianca had fallen so hard, so fast, in the way only young people can. It wasn’t the kind of starry-eyed breathless passion that was likely to repeat. And maybe the deeper truth was that she didn’t want to repeat it. Because if she ever found that all-consuming love again…that meant she could lose it again.

So the cocoon she was currently enjoying was…maybe not new, but certainly something she hadn’t had in a long time. And she found herself inexplicably drawn to Bianca’s body heat. Nothing was close enough. She wanted their limbs entwined, their breath mixing; she welcomed how sweaty it was getting.

They’d been dozing for a bit when Courtney stirred, shifting slightly, just to snuggle even closer. Bianca’s long lashes fluttered open.

“Hi,” whispered Courtney.

“Hi yourself,” Bianca said.

The two of them giggled like schoolgirls, exchanging a few playful, sleepy kisses. It was slow and easy and perfect, almost like Courtney hadn’t woken up from whatever dream had already slipped from her mind. All she knew was that it had been sweet and warm, like the taste of Bianca’s lips right now. Safe, like the feeling of Bianca’s embrace.

Before she knew it, the light, lazy kisses had grown deeper, more intense. Bianca gripped Courtney’s waist and pushed her onto her back, hot mouth moving down her jaw to her neck, sucking on her pulse point until she thought she might swoon.

She’d had a rough time letting go earlier, but once she had, once the floodgates opened and all the desire came flooding back, she felt almost consumed by the lust she felt, as if she’d been out in the cold for years and suddenly, miraculously, was now inside, sitting by a roaring fire that warmed her to the bone.

Her fingers dug into Bianca’s shoulders as her hands slid up to caress her breasts. She squirmed, arching up, as Bianca kissed tenderly around one nipple, and then just when she thought she couldn’t bear the torment any longer, Bianca sucked the overly sensitive nipple into her mouth.

Courtney whimpered, head lolling back as her tongue swirled around and around.

“Keep going…”

“I intend to,” Bianca said, giving her a quick, mischievous smirk before moving to the other nipple, sucking hard. Courtney gasped with pleasure, caught off-guard in the best way.

Bianca’s hands slid down, and so did her lips, pressing soft, wet kisses in a languid, haphazard line down Courtney's whole torso.

It was different now—Courtney was no longer trapped in her head, thoughts racing. Instead, she was so very grounded, in her body, that every kiss, every touch, even the faintest brushes of Bianca’s fingertips, sent waves of electricity through her entire body. It felt like she was in tune with the buzzing of each cell.

When Bianca began nibbling even lower, teeth nipping at the soft skin of her lower belly, she sucked in a sharp breath. Though Bianca had shown her so much love and care earlier, she still had a hint of anxiety about her own body betraying her.

“You sure you wanna dive on that landmine again?” she asked, tugging on Bianca’s hair.

Bianca looked up at her with a grin and proclaimed, “I like a challenge.” Then, dimples deepening, added, “Just don’t cry again.”

“Bitch!” Courtney giggled, pulling harder on her hair, but then immediately caressing her face, unable to resist touching those dimples that warmed her heart.

Bianca laughed along with her, pressing her lips to Courtney’s hip, nuzzling into her skin as her strong hands easily pushed her thighs further apart. The playfulness of their exchange eased Courtney’s fears, and she found herself once again relaxing into her touch. Her heart began to beat faster, pulse quickening in delicious anticipation as Bianca’s lips ghosted over her clit.

All she felt now was warm breath, thumbs rubbing gentle circles over her thighs. She took a deep breath through her nose, unwittingly going back to her years of meditation practice, just to withstand the exquisite torture.

Her tongue was soft at first, alternating with kisses from her plush lips, keeping Courtney breathing heavily, eyes squeezed shut, arching into her mouth. She took a gulping breath as Bianca reached up, teasing her nipples, then began to suck at the most sensitive spot on her inner thigh.

Bianca’s hair was thick and luscious in her hands, but she had to stop herself from yanking on it as her tongue lapped over her clit, spine tingling and toes curling. She started to suck, for just a brief, euphoric moment, then paused to nip at her thigh, before going back to her clit, tongue toying with her cruelly.

“B…”

“Yes, angel?”

“Don’t-”

Bianca paused, lifting her head, as Courtney’s breath hitched in her throat.

Then, when she choked out, “-don’t stop,” Bianca chuckled softly and went right back to business.

It was impossible to hold back anymore, as Courtney’s hips rocked forward, grinding her clit into Bianca’s tongue, hands pressing into the back of her head, pulling her closer. This was unlike anything she’d ever felt, the way Bianca seemed to know her body—so in tune with every shift and murmur and reaction that she went from a luxuriously slow and careful exploration to a self-assured virtuoso in record time.

“Angel…” Bianca murmured against her, and a high moan fell from Courtney’s lips.

Waves of pleasure crashed over her, drowning her in bliss. By the end, she was gulping for oxygen, not sure how long it had been. But her hands were still buried in Bianca’s soft, thick hair, and Bianca’s cheek was pressed against her thigh. Her eyes fluttered open slowly.

“Fuck…” Courtney exhaled, fingers loosening from Bianca’s curls. “That was…incredible…”

A smirk tugged at Bianca’s lips, and she took one of Courtney’s free hands, pressing a kiss to her palm. “So…takes you a long time, huh?”

“Well. Usually,” Courtney replied sheepishly, cheeks still flushed with warmth.

“Mmm…”

She looked so smug that Courtney couldn’t resist pulling her up, head shaking. “Glad you’re not a quitter.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Bianca smiled, running her thumb over Courtney’s bottom lip, easily parting her lips.

As Bianca settled against her, Courtney wrapped her arms around her waist. She could still feel the pulsing in her cunt, and as she squeezed Bianca’s thigh in between her own, it only grew stronger.

“Still hungry, baby?” asked Bianca, sliding a thumb into her mouth.

Courtney nodded, hips rocking up to create more friction as she bit down on Bianca’s finger. The benign, amused smile never left Bianca’s lips as Courtney whined, flipping them over, the sudden yearning for more overtaking her.

She buried her face into Bianca’s neck, inhaling her perfectly intoxicating scent. “So, um…” she whispered, lips pressed to the underside of Bianca’s jaw.

“Mmm?”

“Are you up for getting the strap now?” she murmured.

“Hell yeah,” Bianca said, her lips twisting into a delighted smirk, waiting less than a second more before rolling Courtney off and jumping out of bed, practically skipping to the closet.

Courtney watched, resting her chin on her hands as Bianca rifled frantically through her suitcase. “Do you wanna wear it, or should I? Y’know, for old time’s sake?”

Bianca chuckled. “Yeah, like you really spent thousands of dollars cutting your dick off just to-”

“Nothing was ‘cut off,’” Courtney said, rolling her eyes. “That’s not how it work-”

“Sorry…” Bianca turned around, hands on her hips. Given that she didn’t have a stitch of clothing on her gloriously naked body, it was quite a sight. “Are you seriously about to trans-splain bottom surgery to me? Do you know how many damn articles I read?”

“Trans-splain,” Courtney repeated with a giggle.

“Feel free to steal that,” she said.

“I will.”

Bianca winked, going back to the suitcase. Courtney couldn’t help thinking that she should really keep her sex toys in an easier to reach location. But the view of her ass was nice. She tilted her head to get a better look.

“Anyway, you’d really want to wear a strap after all that? Wouldn’t it kick-start dysphoria or something?”

“No, it’s not really like that for me,” said Courtney.

“Yeah?” Bianca held up a canvas bag triumphantly, and headed back to the bed. “What was it like for you, then? Not that you have to tell me, or get into it right now, but-”

“No, it’s okay. I get what you’re saying. A lot of girls do feel that way. But I never…umm…I never felt like my dick prevented me from…being a woman?”

“Well, that’s cause it didn’t.”

Courtney smiled, reaching for Bianca’s arm and squeezing it gratefully. “I think you probably had something to do with that.”

They exchanged a soft smile, and Bianca promptly ruined the moment by pulling a dildo out of the canvas bag in her hand. “Because of my own huge, detachable dick?”

Courtney laughed. “No, because I always felt like a woman with you. From the moment I told you, even when…” her smile faltered for a second before returning as she amended, “You always affirmed who I was.”

Bianca wondered if her mind had briefly gone to that fucking letter. One of the things that they’d agreed not to talk about. The thing that had kept her up at night, hating herself, ever since they fought over the summer. And if that one month of torture was bad, she couldn’t imagine how it must have been for Courtney all these years, or how she would ever make it up to her.

She blinked away those thoughts and said, “So then, um…why put your body through all that? The surgery, I mean.”

“Well…I went back and forth on it,” Courtney said. “I mean, some of my friends had considered it the most important part of their transition. And then a few of them were adamantly against it and I guess I was…sort of in the middle.”

“But why do something so drastic if you were on the fence?” asked Bianca, brow furrowed.

“Fair. That’s what I asked myself, too. But by the time I did it, I wasn’t on the fence anymore,” Courtney explained. “See, the HRT, which was actually important to me because of all the other physical components, kind of…rendered it a bit…uh, let’s just say ornamental, after awhile. So it stopped doing anything for me.”

Bianca chuckled, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek. “I guess that’s a strong motive then, huh?”

“Basically…” Courtney giggled, adding, “Anyway, a strap gives a lot more flexibility. And plenty of cis women wear them, so…why can’t I?

“Of course you can, I just…I want to make sure you’re offering because you want to. Not because you think you have to, to please me or…you know.”

“No, I know I don’t have to,” Courtney assured her, squeezing her arm once again. “It’s not something I do a lot. Just like, when the moment really calls for it…”

“A special occasion thing?” Bianca asked, one eyebrow arching up.

“Exactly.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, and kissed her cheek again, adding, “But, uh…as special an occasion as tonight is…how ‘bout I wear the dick?”

Courtney took her face and pulled her in for another kiss, this one deep and sweet, tongue dancing with hers, fingers tangling into her hair. When she broke away, breathing heavily, there was a satisfied smile on her face. She relaxed against the pillows. “Lube’s in the bottom drawer.”

Bianca pulled a bottle of lube out of the canvas bag. “Do I look like a fuckin’ amateur to you?”

Courtney giggled girlishly as Bianca began to slip on the harness. Her body was already tingling in anticipation, eyes glued to Bianca’s ass, which always looked good, but in the jock-style harness…fucking spectacular. So perfect and peachy-round that Courtney had a strong desire to sink her teeth into it.

But she supposed that particular urge could wait.

Bianca got everything situated, quickly securing the base and slipping the dildo through the O-ring. Definitely not an amateur. She then crawled onto the bed, her hands sliding up Courtney’s trembling body.

“Are you ready, angel?”

“Mmhmm,” Courtney threaded her hands into Bianca’s hair, pulling her down for a kiss.

She could feel the dildo against her thigh, the silky-soft touch telling her that it was a top-of-the-line model.

When they’d first tumbled into bed together, it had been with an intense desperation, a mad scramble to rip each other’s clothes off, a whirlwind that made her lose track of time and space.

Now, it felt like Bianca was intentionally taking her time, mouth trailing over her skin at a leisurely pace, clearly meant to keep her on the edge as long as possible.. Her kisses were deeper, longer, lingering on her neck, her collarbone, between her breasts. Courtney tried to go with it, to relax and enjoy the journey, but it wasn’t long before she had the blankets clutched in her fists.

She arched up, whimpering, as Bianca swirled a tongue around one nipple, fingers toying gently with the other. When she started to suck gently, the pressure in Courtney’s abdomen became almost unbearable.

“B…please…”

Bianca released the nipple from her mouth and looked up at her with a lascivious smirk, very much enjoying this power she had, this ability to turn Courtney so helpless and needy.

“What’s wrong, angel?”

Courtney said nothing, the delicious agony racing through her veins rendering her nonverbal. She whimpered again, hips thrusting fruitlessly into the air.

“Ohh…” Bianca’s voice was taunting, asking, “Did you want something?”

Courtney flopped backwards against the pillows with a frustrated pout. Bianca gave her a patronizing smile, a chaste kiss on the cheek, before turning her face, licking up her throat. Courtney was so focused on the heat of her mouth, that she must not have noticed Bianca squeezing lube into her hand—not until she felt the cool, slick wetness against her, Bianca’s fingers easing into her slowly, relieving some of the pressure.

Her eyes fell closed, and she almost, almost relaxed into it when a few strange noises made her tense up.

“What was that?”

“What, baby?” Bianca murmured, nibbling on her earlobe.

“That noise.”

“It’s nothing,” Bianca assured her, “Probably just the wind.”

“No, I don’t think so. Don’t you hear that? What if something’s wrong with the kids?” she fretted. “Should we check on them? I really need to be relaxed in order to-”

“The kids have been asleep for hours,” Bianca said. “Look at me…”

Courtney shifted her gaze, just in time for Bianca to go in with another generous fingerful of lube. Courtney gasped, wanting to let go completely so that she could really enjoy it, but the sounds she’d heard were definitely not coming from outside.

She strained to hear them again, but there was nothing. Maybe Bianca was right. She took a deep breath, blocking out everything except Bianca’s tongue against hers, her fingers curling forward. She inhaled, shakily, then exhaled in a broken whimper.

“See, angel?” Bianca murmured softly. “There’s nothing to-”

CRASH!

“Okay, that wasn’t the wind,” Courtney choked out, and this time Bianca nodded, an aggravated look on her face.

“Fuck.” She slowly withdrew her fingers, leaving Courtney empty and aching, but for the first time that night, her own needs weren’t at the forefront of her mind.

“Should we go and-”

“We don’t need to do anything,” Bianca said, rolling over onto her own back with a groan. “You relax. I’ll go deal with the monsters.”

“Wearing that?” Courtney asked, amused, gesturing to strap.

“Fuck. No,” Bianca said, reaching down to pull the dildo out of the harness and placing it gingerly beside Courtney on the bed. “Here. Just don’t have too much fun without me.”

“I’ll do my best,” Courtney laughed.

As annoying as it was to be interrupted in the state she’d been in, Courtney had to admit how much she enjoyed the sight of Bianca staggering to the bathroom in her sexy jock-strap to wash her hands. When she emerged, she was tying the belt on her robe.

Before she left the room, Bianca returned to the bed to press one more kiss to the corner of Courtney’s mouth, whispering, “Don’t move. I’ll be back in a minute.”

***

CRASH!

“Shhh!” Danny hissed, as he emerged from the walk-in pantry, arms full of all the ingredients they needed for the promised triple-chocolate brownies.

To his surprise, Adore actually had gone to sleep when they first went upstairs, while he headed to the loft. She’d joined him a few hours later, casually snacking on the mason jar of Courtney’s homemade granola while they hunted scorpions. It wasn’t long before the granola was gone, Adore lamenting her decision to not order dessert at the restaurant. Thus, the Brownie Plan was born...a plan that required, first and foremost, that they be quiet.

He glared down at Adore, who had just dropped about 20 pans while looking for the 8x8 square he’d requested. She knelt sheepishly on the ground amidst the mess.

“Oops,” Adore whispered, then held up a small square pan. “Is this the one you wanted though?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Danny dumped the contents of his arms onto the island and moved to the fridge, while Adore tried her best to stack the unneeded pans as quietly as possible.

Danny pulled a carton of eggs from the fridge, scanning the shelf for butter. Mum didn’t use dairy very often, so they only had vegan butter, but he supposed it would do. It was one of those high-end Whole Foods brands, too, which he remembered could be browned, and that would make the brownies extra delicious.

He took both of the items back to the island, where Adore was examining the ingredients, brow furrowed.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. He opened the cabinet slowly, carefully getting out a little saucepan, trying not to create another enormous crash.

“Why do we need this if we have the chips?” she asked, holding up a chocolate bar. It was one of Mum’s fancy Ecuadorian fair trade bittersweet 90% ones that she kept on hand for ‘chocolate emergencies’.

“We said triple-chocolate brownies,” Danny said. He turned on the stove and dumped the butter into the saucepan. “So we need 3 kinds of chocolate. Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, which are semi-sweet, and that one, bittersweet, which is like, super dark. We’ll chop it up and add it and then sprinkle some of it on top. Actually-”

“I don’t think I like bittersweet chocolate,” Adore told him, face screwed up in disgust. “It sounds gross.”

“Trust me, you’ll like it. We make these every time there’s a bake sale at school; they’re amazing. Get a cutting board and start-”

“And why is the peanut butter out?” Adore then asked. She clearly didn’t trust him.

“For the peanut butter swirl,” he explained, very slowly, as if this should be obvious. He poked at the butter with the wooden spoon, wondering how long it would take to brown it, and how he’d know when it was done. It was possible that browned butter wasn’t the best idea—the peanut butter swirl, however, would be absolutely delicious.

“Oooh!” Adore’s eyes lit up, finally catching on. “Omigod, Chef Roach! You might be a genius.”

Danny grinned, saying, “I know, right?” He turned back to the stove, where the butter had finally begun melting. “So like I was saying, you should get a cutting board and a knife and start chopping that chocolate bar into little pieces-”

“Uh oh.”

“What?” Danny asked. He turned around and froze. Mama was standing there, hair a mess, scowling at them.

“What the fuck is going on in here?” she demanded, rapping her knuckles on the wooden top of the island.

“We wanted to make brownies,” Adore said. Danny was glad she did, since he was currently tongue-tied.

“It’s 2 am!” she barked, picking up the carton of eggs and shoving it onto the fridge. She walked over to the stove.

Danny swallowed, finally finding his voice to say, “Sorry, we just thought-”

“I don’t care what you thought!” Bianca snapped off the stove and peered into the saucepan, scoffing at the half-melted butter as if it had personally offended her. “Go back to bed! Now!”

She then quickly picked up something from the ground by the cabinets, which Danny recognized as Mum’s shawl.

“Sorry, Mama! Did we wake you?” Adore asked, leaning against the island, in no way intimidated, giving her best innocent angel baby eyes.

Bianca turned around and gave her a pointed glare. “No.”

“Then…why are you mad?” Danny asked, confused.

Bianca closed her eyes, and Adore covered her mouth in an attempt to muffle a snicker. Danny looked from her to Mama, and back to her, waiting for someone to explain the joke.

“Just go back to bed,” Bianca finally said tiredly. He supposed that she’d been trying to go to sleep, but he didn’t get why that was so funny.

“I’ll explain it to him upstairs,” Adore giggled.

“Adore…” Bianca growled warningly.

“Explain what?” Danny asked.

Adore slipped an arm around him and looked back at Mama. “Kids these days…so innocent.”

“Go to bed!” Bianca bellowed, and something clicked in his mind.

Oh. His eyes widened, then he immediately turned and began to flee from the kitchen.

“Alright, alright,” Adore said. She followed Danny, at a much more leisurely pace, continuing in a sing-song voice. “Tell Mum goodnight for us…”

Danny reached out from the stairwell and grabbed her arm, yanking her along behind him.

***

Bianca entered the bedroom, dumping the items she’d collected from the kitchen onto a chair beside the door: Courtney’s shawl, her Birkin, and Courtney’s surprisingly bougie Valentino tote.

“Is everything okay?” Courtney asked, sitting up, a sheet clutched against her body.

“Everything’s fine,” Bianca said, making sure to lock the door before untying her robe. “Our delightful children decided that now was a great time to bake brownies. I sent them to bed.”

She slipped the robe off her shoulders and dropped it on the chair.

“You didn’t yell, did you?” Courtney asked.

“Of course not,” Bianca lied, flashing a charming grin.

Courtney looked at her skeptically, eyes narrowed, although her gaze softened as Bianca climbed onto the bed.

“Listen,” Bianca said, pressing a kiss to Courtney’s cheek, lips lingering before murmuring, “Sometimes you have to raise your voice so they know you’re serious.”

“Uh huh…” Courtney clearly wasn’t buying it, but she also didn’t seem too bothered, tilting her head to give Bianca access to her neck.

Bianca moved closer, sliding a hand over Courtney’s stomach and nuzzling into her pulse point.

“Side question…you don’t think they’re smoking weed, do you?” Bianca joked, and Courtney pulled away, eyes huge.

“Oh my god, are you serious?!” she exclaimed, horrified, sitting straight up.

“Well, no, just, 2 am brownies. Plus you said it’s legal here, so-” she tried to clarify the joke, reaching for her, but Courtney was not finding it funny in the slightest.

“Oh my god!” Courtney repeated, shaking her head, chest rising and falling rapidly. “They’re only 11, do you really think-”

“No, of course not, I was just kidding-” said Bianca.

“-Where would they get weed?! Mine is locked in a safe and they don’t even know about it. I don’t think. Oh, god.” She appeared to be quickly spiraling, eyes panicked, and Bianca knew she had to act quickly, because of course this would freak her out. Anyone who ever worried about custody would be triggered by the idea of their pre-teens getting their hands on narcotics.

“No no no no, I just, I was being dumb, stupid joke, undo undo undo-”

“Really? You didn’t like, smell weed on them?” Courtney asked, her hand pressed to her heart.

“No,” said Bianca firmly, adding, “Not at all.”

“Okay…”

“Don’t worry.” Bianca took her hand, kissing the inside of her wrist, trying to soothe her still racing pulse. She made a note to her future self: no jokes about the kids doing drugs.

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. I promise,” Bianca said sincerely. “But…do you want some?”

Courtney let out a halfhearted chuckle, laying back down with a sigh. “…maybe.”

She closed her eyes as Bianca kissed up her arm to her shoulder, slowly making her way across her collarbone. Then, when she was finally relaxed, she reached around to grasp Bianca’s ass firmly in her hands, pulling her closer.

Bianca straddled one of Courtney’s legs, pressing a thigh right up against her pussy, admiring the way she inhaled sharply at the pressure.

“Are you okay?” Bianca whispered, nuzzling her cheek.

“Mmmhmm…”

The fingers digging into her ass, heavy breathing and fluttering lashes indicated that she’d moved on. But as Bianca eyed the dildo still lying on the pillow beside her, she found that she couldn’t. Not until she was sure that everything was okay.

“I’m sorry if I freaked you out,” she said.

“What?” Courtney asked, head lolling, necklace glinting in the moonlight.

“About the kids. I’m sorry for making that dumb joke,” Bianca clarified.

Courtney pulled her in for another kiss, arching against her. “You wanna keep talking about it? Or…” Her eyes shifted sideways to the dildo, and Bianca chuckled.

“I’ll take ‘or,’” she said, reaching for it, waves of relief washing over her.

A breathy little giggle escaped as Courtney bit her lip, eyes glimmering.

Bianca slid the dildo into her harness, adjusting the base cover against her own clit. She opened the bottle of lube, but Courtney cupped her own hands together before Bianca could pour any out.

“Let me,” she insisted, and Bianca tipped the bottle, pouring a generous amount into her hands. Courtney gave her a filthy smirk as she reached down to lube up the dildo, legs spreading wider to straddle Bianca’s hips.

Bianca buried her face into Courtney’s hair, inhaling deeply, goosebumps prickling her skin as she imagined what was about to happen. Earlier, she’d been teasing her, but now, she was in no mood to postpone anyone’s pleasure, especially her own.

She lifted her head, stroking Courtney’s cheek with her thumb, hips moving slowly to rub the tip of the toy over her pussy, and murmured, “Are you ready, angel?”

“Yes,” she replied simply.

Her eyes were closed as Bianca lined up the dildo, pushing inside of her slowly. She gasped, and Bianca paused, whispering in her ear, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m…keep going,” Courtney said, her nails now digging into Bianca’s shoulder blades. Bianca examined her face, trying to discern if she was feeling pain, even pulling out slightly when she wasn’t sure.

“Do you want me to switch to a smaller one?”

Courtney shook her head, eyes still squeezed shut.

“I don’t want to hurt you, baby…”

At that, Courtney opened her eyes, a smile pulling at her lips, declaring, “I’m not as fragile as you think.”

“Oh no?”

Courtney pulled her closer, tangling their tongues together in a heated kiss.

“Does that mean you want me to keep going?” Bianca whispered against her. “You’re ready to-”

“Not quite,” said Courtney, giving her a wink.

“What do you-”

Before Bianca could get the sentence out, Courtney had flipped her onto her back, kneeling over her, lube-slippery hands gliding up her body.

“Fuck,” Bianca groaned, unprepared for how hot it was to see her from this angle, hovering over the strap, hair wild and untamed, that wanton look in her eyes.

Courtney’s fingers danced gracefully around her nipples, making her burn with need. Bianca lifted her hips to rub the glistening tip of the dildo against her clit, daring her to come closer.

A deliciously naughty smirk pulled at Courtney’s lips as she asked, “Are you ready?”

“Fuck. Yes,” replied Bianca, holding the dildo steady, her other hand on Courtney’s hip.

Courtney let Bianca guide the toy, gasping softly as it finally slid inside her, sitting down firmly on it. Her eyes closed, body barely moving as she adjusted her weight and began to roll her hips, slowly and subtly.

The pressure from the dildo base was driving Bianca crazy. All she wanted was to thrust upwards at a furious pace, to make her come completely undone. But she also loved that Courtney was in control, making her heart pound, riding her with total confidence, her firm thighs squeezing Bianca’s hips.

“Jesus christ,” she moaned, thrusting up to meet her perfect rhythm.

Courtney smiled and leaned forward, hair falling into her eyes, tits brushing against Bianca’s chest, picking up the pace until Bianca couldn’t take it anymore, finally coming with a groan, her whole body flushed and sweaty.

“I’m close, B, I’m-” Courtney let out her own broken moan. “Are you okay? Can I keep-”

“I got you, I got you,” Bianca panted, riding out the aftershocks of her orgasm as Courtney’s hips rolled faster than before, her hands now buried in Bianca’s hair.

The sound of her—whimpering and moaning and calling out Bianca’s name—was the most beautiful music she’d ever heard. Something inside Bianca’s heart cracked open, realizing how easy it would have been to lose her forever. She held her tighter, savoring how precious this moment was, how lucky she was to be here. When Courtney finally collapsed on top of Bianca in a sweaty heap, they lay sandwiched together, hearts beating wildly.

Bianca lifted her head and pressed kisses along Courtney’s hairline, fingers dancing up and down the smooth, slick skin of her back. It wasn’t until her breathing began to even out that Bianca rolled her to the side, easing the dildo out slowly.

Courtney let out a sharp hiss as she pulled out, nails raking down Bianca’s back.

“Are you alright?” Bianca asked.

“Mmm…” Courtney sighed, adding a lazily murmured, “I’m perfect.”

“You certainly are.”

A sleepy smile spread across Courtney’s face, and she sighed again, pulling Bianca close against her, arms wrapped tightly around her. Perfect.

#rpdr fanfiction #veronica #masters of the scene #s6 #bianca del rio #courtney act #adore delano #bitney #bitney parent trap #parent trap au #lesbian au #trans character #kid fic #smut #fluff #mild angst #comedy

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artificialqueens · 2 years ago

Text

Masters of the Scene, Chapter 24 (Bitney Parent Trap AU) - Veronica

A/N: Well. Originally this fic was gonna be family-friendly. But I decided to take pity on my little pretend people and give them some good old-fashioned smut. Thanks as always to @tumble4rpdr for their indispensable beta help.

Click here for prequels and previous chapters, or here if you’d rather read on AO3.

Where we left off:

Once the kids headed upstairs, she turned to Courtney, a rush of butterflies filling her belly as she took in her soft expression. A lock of blonde hair had fallen into her eyes, the same one that never cooperated, and Bianca reached forward to brush it away.

“So…”

Summary: Yeah uh…banging.

***

Courtney stood in the kitchen, biting her lip as she gazed into Bianca’s eyes. Bianca brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, fingers lingering on the shell of her ear. So much was in that gentle touch, making Courtney feel weak-kneed and pleasantly dizzy, her heart pounding with nervous excitement.

“So…”

“So,” Courtney echoed, swallowing. “Um…do you want some wine?”

“Please.”

Bianca already had a few glasses at dinner, but Courtney stayed sober since she was driving, and really needed some liquid courage. Fortunately, one glass would likely catch her up, given their extremely different alcohol tolerances. She opened the wine fridge to pull out a bottle.

“You may want to think about getting a lock on that, now that Adore’s here full time,” said Bianca.

“You really think that’s necessary?” Courtney asked, raising an eyebrow. She knew that Bianca was mostly joking, but couldn’t help the shred of concern that nagged at her.

“No, no, not yet,” Bianca assured her, eyes warm, a little half-smile pulling on her lips. “But if you wait until it’s necessary, it’s probably too late.”

Courtney nodded thoughtfully as she began to turn the corkscrew, starting at the wrong angle before realizing her mistake and tearing her eyes away from Bianca’s to concentrate. “Wouldn’t locking up the booze just make them think we don’t trust them?” she wondered.

“Well…I don’t trust them,” Bianca said plainly, and Courtney laughed.

“Fair enough.” She gave Bianca a wink before going back to struggling with the corkscrew, fingers still clumsy from nerves. “Shit.”

“Want me to do that?” Bianca offered.

“Thanks.” Courtney handed over the bottle and corkscrew, admitting, “I never really learned to be slick with these things.”

“I can’t promise slick, but I can promise effective,” Bianca said.

Courtney smiled, watching her twist the corkscrew almost violently, clearly needing the wine as much as she did. She turned to the cabinets to get out a couple of glasses.

After a few moments, she sensed Bianca approaching behind her. Her heart began to hammer harder as Bianca drew closer. Her shawl had slipped down when she reached into the cabinet, and when Bianca trailed her fingers over the lacy straps of her dress, she inhaled sharply.

Her skin prickled with goosebumps, eyes closing as she let herself luxuriate in the moment. Bianca’s touch was like reliving a memory that had been seared into her skin. Like the very best kind of déjà vu, that sent tingles up her spine, made her heart pound, made the room spin slightly, even though she’d yet to take a drink.

She turned around with the glasses clutched in her hands, burning with lust while Bianca silently poured wine for both of them. Bianca then set the bottle on the counter and took one of the glasses, lightly ghosting the back of Courtney’s fingers with her own as she did so.

They clinked their glasses together, still just gazing into each other’s eyes, Courtney’s breathing shallow, her abdomen tight with desire.

“What are we toasting?” she asked softly.

“Farm life.”

Courtney laughed, releasing a little of the tension building up inside her before taking a long sip of her wine. She put her glass down on the counter and leaned back on her elbows, giving her best bedroom eyes.

Bianca gazed back, but made no move towards her, instead taking another sip of her wine without breaking eye contact. Courtney waited as long as she could, her pulse nearly jumping out of her skin, until she couldn’t take it anymore.

She lunged forward, grabbing Bianca by the lapels of her jacket, their lips finally meeting. Bianca’s hands slid around her waist, pulling her closer as they kissed hungrily, both of them desperate for more. A whimper escaped Courtney’s throat as Bianca pressed her against the counter, trailing a row of hot, biting kisses down her jaw.

“Do you want to-”

“Yes!” Bianca groaned immediately, fingers digging into her waist.

Courtney laughed breathlessly. “You don’t know what I was gonna ask.”

“Whatever it was, the answer is yes,” Bianca said, as she continued to trail her lips over the most sensitive part of Courtney’s neck.

Courtney giggled, gripping her jacket tighter, head lolling to the side to give her better access. The cool metal on leather in her hands was a stark contrast to the heat of Bianca’s mouth, the warm breath against her.

“What was the question?” Bianca finally murmured into her skin.

“Do you want to move to the bedroom?” Courtney forced out, gulping for air.

“Okay, I’m changing my answer...” Bianca lifted her head, and for a split second, Courtney felt a flicker of disappointment. Until she added, “To fuck yes.”

Courtney laughed again, shaking her head, laying one more kiss against Bianca’s lips before picking up their wine glasses and sauntering forward towards the bedroom.

Once behind a closed, locked door, it felt like an insatiable demon had taken over Bianca’s body. She couldn’t get enough of the taste of her, the smell of her hair, the little sounds she made that told Bianca exactly what was working.

It felt like they were very much on the same page, as Courtney tugged inelegantly at her clothes, tossing each article to the floor, one by one. Soon, they were rolling around on the bed in a feverish daze. Bianca began to regret all the accessories she had on—the necklace was just in the way, and when one of her earrings got tangled in Courtney’s hair, she realized that it might be a downright safety hazard.

She pulled back, pausing for a regretfully long time to take it all off, as fast as possible.

“Oh, good idea,” Courtney panted, her kiss-swollen lips smeared with an alluring shade of pink made from their lipsticks combing. She removed her own earrings, bracelets and cocktail ring, dropping them into a little bowl on the nightstand. Her necklaces proved trickier. “Can you…?”

She rolled to the side, lifting her hair.

“Sure.” Bianca swallowed, still trying to catch her breath, fingers feeling clumsy as she tried to undo the delicate clasp of the first chain, distracted by the way her straps hung off her shoulder, the unzipped dress revealing a peek of her lace thong. When she started on the Cartier necklace, Courtney reached back to stop her fingers.

“Not that one,” she said, almost shyly, requesting, “Leave that one on?”

Bianca wrapped her arms around Courtney’s waist from behind, kissing her neck, nipping at the tender skin of her pulse point. Courtney whimpered, making her suck harder as she slid her hands down, lifting her skirt.

Suddenly, Courtney tensed up, and Bianca stopped instantly, smoothing her skirt back down.

“Are you okay?” she asked, gulping for air.

“Yeah.” Courtney turned slightly, biting her lip. “I’m sorry. I know…I know it’s probably silly, but I’m…nervous.”

“It’s not,” Bianca assured her. She brushed some hair out of Courtney’s eyes. “Not silly, I mean. And look, we can wait if you want-”

“God no,” Courtney said, with such a put-upon look of horror that Bianca had to laugh. “I just…need you to know that…um…”

“Yeah?” Bianca pressed a kiss to her shoulder, nuzzling into her skin.

“It…takes me awhile,” Courtney explained, looking a bit apologetic. “I mean, longer than-”

“Good thing we have all night,” Bianca shrugged. She made no move, though, instead waiting while Courtney turned the rest of the way, laying on her back.

“Right.” Courtney swallowed, pulling Bianca in for a tender kiss.

As her weight bore down, she could feel Courtney’s hands tangling into her hair, her body shifting to allow Bianca to slowly lift her dress over her head.

“God, you’re so fucking hot…” Bianca breathed, a smile pulling at her lips.

“Look who’s talking.” Courtney ran a hand up Bianca’s arm, eyes wandering greedily over her body, fingers slipping under her bra strap to pull her close once more. “Come here.”

Happy to obey that particular order, Bianca moved back towards her, hovering over her on her hands and knees, capturing her lips in a soft, deep kiss.

Courtney’s heart was pounding, a million miles a minute, and she wasn’t quite sure why. She knew that Bianca wanted her. She could see the lust in her eyes all evening. And she generally wasn’t precious about nudity in the least—it was easy enough to find pictures of her tits with one google search.

But something about being naked with Bianca, here, after all the time that had gone by, was freaking her out. She couldn’t help but be self-conscious about the way her body had changed.

Would she like it?

It was a ludicrous question, a completely insane thing to be obsessing over. After all, Bianca loved her. She loved her before the transition, and after. Especially after. And the way she was kissing her, the way she was caressing every inch of her skin, showed Courtney how much she wanted her.

She tried to relax as Bianca took her time, mouth wandering lazily down her bare chest, licking teasingly, just once, at her nipples, making her arch up with desire, before traveling lower, sucking a hot, wet kiss to her belly, just above the top of her panties.

Courtney held her breath, waiting for her to start sliding them down, but instead she seemed to be focusing on her shoes, pulling at the top strap.

“Oh, fuck me,” Bianca muttered, and Courtney laughed. Apparently, she’d just realized that the gladiator sandals were made up of a row of tiny, individually-fastened buckles.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine, it’s…like I said, I’m not in a rush.” Bianca smirked down at her, sitting back on her heels to carefully undo each buckle before dropping the shoes off the side of the bed.

Now, she was naked save for the black floral lace thong that she’d chosen specifically for the occasion. Bianca hovered over her on her hands and knees, down to her bra, panties shoved down around her thighs. The hot pink looked so alluring on her skin, not to mention the sheer fabric leaving nothing to the imagination, that Courtney couldn’t resist reaching up. Her fingers teased at her nipples through the fine mesh, watching them harden immediately.

Bianca kissed her slowly, murmuring against her lips, a thigh between Courtney’s legs holding them apart. But she was in such a love-struck daze, she missed what Bianca had said entirely.

“What was that?” Courtney whispered back.

Bianca lifted her head, the fingers of one hand running along the edge of her panties making her shiver with delight. Her eyes were dark but gleaming in the dim lamplight.

“I said…I want to taste your pussy,” Bianca repeated, and Courtney was overcome by a wave of pure euphoria. “Is that okay?”

“Uh huh,” she said, nodding vigorously. “Yes.”

Bianca’s lips curled into a smirk, her dimples deep as she moved down Courtney’s body again. She kissed soft trails over her, making her squirm in anticipation, then finally, Courtney could feel the hot breath against the front of her thong, lips ghosting over the little embroidered roses. And it was so good, but it wasn’t enough.

When Courtney let out a pleading, impatient whimper, Bianca began to slowly, excruciatingly, slide her panties down. In spite of the desire that pulsed through her, Courtney found her nerves returning, waiting with bated breath for Bianca’s reaction.

“Fuck. You’re beautiful,” Bianca said, her voice thick with emotion and as reverent as a prayer.

The praise made a shiver of delight race up Courtney’s spine, and she leaned back, determined to stay out of her own head and simply enjoy this experience, this intimacy that she’d been craving for so long.

“Mmm,” Bianca hummed against her, swirling her tongue in a way that made Courtney arch up in surprise.

“Keep going,” she breathed.

It was like a fantasy come true, one she’d kept buried deep. The feeling of Bianca’s mouth against her was a reminder—how often she’d chosen lovers because of their full lips, their thick curly hair as close as possible to the handfuls that were grasped in her fists right now.

She told herself that it was just a preference. Everyone had them. Never admitting to anyone, least of all to herself, how often her thoughts drifted to Bianca, no matter who she was with. How, in the best of cases, she was able to submerge herself into a world where they were still together, still in love. Bianca’s voice—her actual voice, and not the one in Courtney’s imagination, was what brought her back to the present. How long had her mind wandered? Shit.

“Is this okay?” Bianca asked, thumbs stroking her thighs.

“Yeah, it’s…so good…” Courtney said, biting her lip. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Bianca said, shaking her head. “I know you said it takes you awhile, but I just wanted to make sure you like what I’m-”

“I do!” Courtney insisted.

“Because you used to be a little more…um…a little more responsive.”

Guilt flooded Courtney’s chest. She was, usually, more responsive. More present. And it certainly wasn’t Bianca’s fault, or anything she was doing wrong, that was stopping her from being in the moment together. Quite the opposite, in fact.

“I…everything you’re doing is perfect,” said Courtney, trying to hold her shame at bay.

“Okay…” Bianca pressed a gentle kiss to her inner thigh, then another, a little higher, then another.

Courtney sighed audibly, and Bianca smiled against her skin, warm tongue seeking her out once more.

It wasn’t a lie, either. What Bianca was doing was perfect: light brushes of her lips, soft flicks and swirls of her tongue, hands trailing tenderly over her skin. Courtney closed her eyes, determined to enjoy it, determined to stop her mind from wandering again.

“God, you’re fucking delicious,” Bianca murmured.

A whimper fell from Courtney’s lips and she gripped Bianca’s hair tighter. “B…”

“Mmmhmm?”

“This is so…” she bit her lip.

It was so different, was what she was thinking. So different than it used to be with them—and not just because of the way her own body had changed. She shook her head, not wanting to chance even a single unpleasant memory. Instead, she took another deep breath, concentrating on the softness, the heat, the way every touch sent a new and welcome sensation through her body. When Bianca began to suck on her clit, she let out a hiss of pleasure.

God, she was good. Gentle and firm, with just enough teasing to keep Courtney guessing, keep her hips rolling and her breath caught in her throat. Which was why, of course, Courtney absolutely detested herself for the next thought.

She’s done this before.

It was a bit of a ‘no shit’ moment—of course she’d done it before. They’d been divorced for over 7 years. And even with a cursory, occasional stalking of Bianca’s social media, along with a few telling comments from the kids, Courtney knew full well that she was never lacking for beautiful and elegant female companions. Hell, Courtney had met the last one.

But was she the last one?

Courtney gulped. It had been a month. Had she been with other women in that time? And why did it matter, anyway? The only reason Courtney was stressing like this, for the first time in years, was that old, nagging insecurity ever since Bianca confessed that she was a lesbian…what if she wasn’t the kind of woman that Bianca ultimately wanted? And if the nagging doubt had been bad before, now it felt compounded by the fact that she had years of who knows how many other women to compare her to.

Meanwhile, all Courtney had done, since they parted, was to compare everyone to Bianca. Living her entire sex life in a state of perpetual fantasy. Delving so deep into them that sometimes, she wasn’t even sure what was real. Was this real?

“Baby…are you okay?”

Fuck.

“I’m…yeah, I’m good. Great. Why?” Courtney swallowed, loosening her tight grip on Bianca’s hair. Fucking shit, had she hurt her?

“You just seem a bit…I don’t know. Uh…far away.” Bianca’s voice was gentle, that raspy whisper that Courtney missed so much it made her chest ache.

“I…I’m sorry-” Courtney’s breath hitched as she covered her face with her hands, repeating a muffled, “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, it’s okay…” Bianca shifted away, crawling forward to lay beside her. She wrapped an arm securely around her shoulders. “You don’t have to be sorry-”

“But I am, because you’ve been so incredible, so perfect, and I just…I can’t get out of my head.”

“Okay. Then…” Bianca nuzzled into her. “Then maybe, let’s talk about what’s going on in your head.”

“Oh god, please let’s not.” The last thing she wanted was to burden Bianca with this tedious bullshit. Courtney could feel her lashes wet with tears as she hugged Bianca close.

“Are you sure?” Bianca asked. And the look on her face was so loving and concerned that it compounded Courtney’s guilt, made her feel like an idiot for doubting where they stood, even for a second.

“I’m sure,” Courtney whispered, stroking Bianca’s cheek, admiring the way even a gentle smile made her dimples appear. “I’m just sorry that I killed the mood.”

“You didn’t kill anything,” Bianca assured her.

“Oh no?” Courtney sniffled. “You find it sexy when I’m a weepy, neurotic cunt?”

“Devastatingly sexy.” Bianca chuckled slightly and shook her head, voice still low as she confessed, “The truth is…since the second you walked into that party in the Hamptons, I’ve been so desperate to be with you that I’ve literally been climbing out of my skin. You think a few tears are gonna change that?”

A relief surged through Courtney’s limbs, like a soothing balm over her frayed nerves and faltering confidence. A small smile tugged at her lips as she relaxed in Bianca’s arms, asking, “Only since the party?”

“Don’t tease me. I’ve been in agony,” Bianca whispered, ghosting her lips over Courtney’s.

“Oh yeah?”

“Feel. Feel how fucking wet you make me.” Bianca guided Courtney’s hand down to her cunt. The sharp inhale as Courtney pressed the heel of her hand against her was exactly what she wanted.

Courtney’s fingers sought out the perfectly wet heat, stroking her. Her thumb had just barely touched Bianca’s clit when she felt her shiver. She smiled against her lips, tongue delving into her mouth as she pushed two fingers inside her. She dragged her thumb back over Bianca’s clit, making figure eights and swirls, feeling her hips stutter.

“Baby, that’s…fuck-” Bianca gasped, fingers digging into her waist.

“Good?” Courtney breathed into her ear.

“Uh huh,” Bianca whimpered.

Her hips were rolling faster now, fucking down onto her fingers, breath hot on Courtney’s neck. She curled her fingers, matching her rhythm, finding the exact angle that sent her into a frenzy, the sense memory of exactly how she liked it coming back with a vengeance to guide her along.

A low, breathy moan fell from Bianca’s lips, hips flexed, muscles tightening around Courtney's fingers in spasms. “Oh, god…”

Courtney kissed her deeply, unhurried and content, waiting until her breathing evened out before slowly withdrawing her fingers and sucking them into her mouth, the taste making her dizzy with lust.

Courtney tilted Bianca’s chin up, kissing her again, then pressing a row down her jaw to her neck, licking at the light sheen of sweat on her skin, suddenly needing to savor every inch of her.

Bianca sighed against her, lashes fluttering, before saying, “Hey…don’t think you can use orgasmic trickery to make me forget that easily…”

“Forget what?”

“That you were upset.” Bianca said.

“Oh. That...”

“Yes, that.” Bianca gave her a pointed look. “Spill it, buttercup.”

Courtney groaned slightly, knowing that she wasn’t gonna squirm out of this conversation the way she used to. The New and Improved Bianca seemed anxious to discuss her emotions in a way she never used to be—for the first time, Courtney wondered if things were better before.

“I just…” A lump rose in her throat, tears burning in her eyes. Fuck. She didn’t want to do this, not now. She wanted tonight to be a clean slate, a fresh beginning for them both. “Sorry, I…”

“It’s okay.”

“No, we’re…this is so good, I don’t want to ruin it-”

“You won’t. You can’t,” Bianca assured her. She kissed her cheek, then said, “Tell me what’s going on, please.”

Courtney bit her lip. She didn’t want to go there. It seemed like it would just be too much. But on the other hand, Bianca was looking at her with such love and tenderness, and maybe it would feel good to unburden herself.

“I just…I feel like a hypocrite,” she admitted, the words tumbling from her mouth before she could stop them, “Because, anyone I’m with. Everyone I’m with. I always…think of you. I talk about being mindful and embracing the moment and I’ve never really, truly done that, for years. Because I’ve never let go. Not for one…one second.”

Her voice broke as hot tears began spilling down her cheeks. Bianca kissed them away, holding her close and shaking her head.

“Angel… You think I ever let you go?” Bianca asked incredulously.

Courtney didn’t say anything, just buried her face in Bianca’s neck, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her as she moved forward, laying Courtney back down gently against a pillow, weight bearing down.

Desire twisted in Courtney’s abdomen. She arched up, grasping Bianca’s ass in both hands, rubbing against her, desperate to feel exactly how wet she was against her own body.

“Do you want me to get the strap?” Bianca murmured into her ear.

“No. Not…not yet. I just want to feel you,” Courtney panted. “I want to see you. I want to know that it’s really you…not just my imagination. I-”

“Look at me…”

Courtney lifted her eyes, looking directly into Bianca’s, warm brown eyes gazing down at her.

“It’s not your imagination,” Bianca assured her, and Courtney had to bury her head in her neck.

She would not fucking cry again, not this time.

“I love you,” Bianca whispered, still rutting against her, speeding up until she was almost frantic. “I will never stop loving you.”

Courtney held her tighter, legs wrapped around her waist. She wasn’t sure until it was happening that she could come this way, just by rubbing their clits together, Bianca’s voice murmuring in her ear.

When she began to moan, Bianca continued whispering, calling her baby and angel and perfect, the sound of her voice leaving no room for even a shred of doubt.

This was real, Courtney told herself, over and over as her body arched up in ecstasy. It was real, and it was everything she wanted.

***

“God…why did we waste so many years?” Bianca said.

They were tangled together on the bed, Bianca trailing her fingers up and down Courtney’s bare back, fingertips dancing along her spine. Sated, sweaty, and utterly relaxed, Bianca felt as if her bones might melt into the mattress. Her brain, the normally racing thoughts, had slowed nearly to a stop….all she knew in this moment was that Courtney was finally nestled in her arms, and it was the best feeling in the world.

“Ummm…” Courtney mused, “Stupidity? Stubbornness? Bitterness-”

“That was a rhetorical question, babe.” Bianca reached down to swat her lightly on the butt.

“Oh. Right,” Courtney said with a light giggle. “I’m not good with those.”

Bianca continued to pat her ass, admiring how the peachy flesh felt against her hand. “Did you ever end up getting a BBL?”

“How dare you!” Courtney exclaimed, lifting her head.

“I just don’t remember you having this much ass,” Bianca laughed.

“Yeah, well, I’ve been doing squats every day for years, so…”

“Damn. Good work.”

Courtney gave her a wink and settled back down, her head pleasantly heavy on Bianca’s shoulder.

Both of them seemed utterly content to bask in the glow of finally being together, in each other’s arms. Bianca let out a deep sigh, nuzzling against her skin.

Every so often, she would tip up Courtney’s chin for a slow, lazy kiss, but generally they just lay in contented silence.

“So…” Courtney finally said, “You never really said…how long you’re planning to stay here. In LA.”

“However long you want me,” she answered. “I have to go back to check on things in October, but that’s probably just a few days.”

“I guess this means you’re open to being bicoastal?” Courtney asked hopefully.

“I’d rather be in one place, most of the time,” she answered, and before that could make Courtney worry, she quickly added, “But I think I could get used to being an Angeleno again.”

Courtney grinned, laying a soft kiss against her lips. “I’m so glad you’re here. Both of you.”

“Mmm…let’s hope the fresh start here is exactly what Adore needs.”

“I think it could be,” Courtney said, laying her head back down against Bianca’s shoulder, cuddling close. Almost as an afterthought, she said, “They sent you the revised 6th grade schedule, right? The one we voted on at the last PTA meeting?”

“Uh, I don’t think so,” answered Bianca, then teased, “What is it? More time to share their feelings?”

Courtney gave her a mildly cross look, but then smiled again. “Well…”

“Oh lord.” Bianca slapped her forehead.

Courtney began to sit up, eyes bright as she exclaimed, “No no, listen, it’s gonna be so great!”

“Yeah?” A smile tugged at Bianca’s lips. She couldn’t help but be amused by Courtney’s boundless enthusiasm for their kids’ education.

“Yeah! So there’s all this new research about how difficult it is for kids to straight into like, intense academic subjects first thing in the morning, before their brains are ready to take things in, like a lot if this STEM stuff just goes in one ear and out the other and that’s why homework can be a nightmare, right?”

“Okay, yeah, that makes sense,” Bianca said.

“So there’s this school in Mount Shasta that’s been experimenting with different models and they found one that’s been super effective and we’re gonna try it. So they start the day with a full hour of just intense, calming, guided deep breathing.”

“An hour?” Bianca said, horrified. Had she made a grave error in subjecting Adore to this hippie nightmare?

“Yeah,” Courtney said, continuing on breezily, “Then, once they’re in that calm, relaxed head space, they join the friendship circle, where they share, yes, of course, but also use positive affirmations to uplift one another, while snacking on artisanal sprouted nut balls and locally sourced wheatgrass shots. Which are just packed with nutrients.”

She smiled widely, and Bianca narrowed her eyes. ‘Artisanal sprouted nut balls’? She had to be fucking around. This was way too much, even for her.

“So anyway, after the second hour of friendship circle, there’s abstract finger painting. Cruelty-free, non-toxic paints, of course, while they listen to Tibetan monks chant about environmental justice. Followed by-”

“You are an asshole,” Bianca proclaimed, now certain that she was full of shit.

Courtney cackled with mischievous glee as Bianca shook her head, unable to muster up any irritation at all.

“Actually, we just added an extra snack break in the afternoon, and more time in the computer lab. But I had you for a minute!” she insisted, still laughing.

“You know what,” Bianca said, tugging her closer, “you’ve had me for a lot longer than that.”

“Hmm…” Courtney laid back down with a sweet, contented sigh. “Good.”

#rpdr fanfiction #veronica #masters of the scene #bianca del rio #courtney act #bitney #parent trap au #bitney parent trap #lesbian au #trans character #fluff #mild angst

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artificialqueens · 2 years ago

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Masters of the Scene, Chapter 19 (Bitney Parent Trap AU) - Veronica

A/N: Thank you so much to @tumble4rpdr for being an incredible beta, and to both @aqalbatross and @artificialeevee for their help with the video game speak.

Click here for prequels and previous chapters, or here if you’d rather read on AO3.

Chapter Summary: A month later. Courtney gets a surprise.

***

Topanga Canyon, California. September.

Courtney knelt in the garden, stabbing the cultivator into the ground, over and over, trying to loosen the soil enough to grab ahold of the weeds that were attempting to choke her poor onions. She attacked the ground, the weeds, with a violence that most people would probably think was unlike her, but she had to get the anger out somehow, and weeds and dirt seemed like a pretty benign target.

She’d been out there since before sunrise, harvesting and planting and trying to get as much done as she could while the air was still cool and misty. If it was up to her, she’d be in the garden every day, but that just wasn’t usually possible during the week. The weekends, though, that was her time. It was a good way to focus, to try and keep her mind on a task, rather than spinning off the way it had been doing ever since she’d gotten into that car and pulled away from her daughter, watching Adore’s sad little face get smaller and smaller until she disappeared around the curve of the road.

She hated leaving Adore, especially like that. And now she was back in school, and Courtney wished more than anything that she’d been wrong about how hard this school year was going to be. It wasn’t Bianca’s fault—New York Fashion Week, and the rest of September, was the most important time of the year for her, business-wise. Nobody expected her to be sitting down with Adore and helping her with homework every day. That’s why she had after-school help, and tutors, and why Courtney had completely rearranged her own schedule to be available on FaceTime when Adore got home in the afternoons.

But it didn’t seem to matter. The workload was insane; granted, Courtney hadn’t finished University herself, but she couldn’t do half of what they were asking of Adore at that godforsaken school. And Adore had convinced herself almost immediately that everything was too hard, that she was stupid, that she’d never be able to keep up with her classmates or the rigorous level of college prep instruction that was expected of her.

Adore’s psychiatrist wanted to increase her dosage of Adderall and put her on an antidepressant, but Bianca wanted to wait and see how she adjusted once she got used to the new schedule and teachers. Courtney wanted to cry and scream because she couldn’t fucking hold her child and kiss her and tell her that nothing, nothing, nothing was wrong with her and that fucking school shouldn’t be putting so much pressure on her in sixth fucking grade.

She stabbed the soil one more time, tears falling that she brushed away with her gloved hand, leaving behind streaks of dirt on her face, no doubt.

Her frustration wasn’t just about what a hard time Adore was having. That was horrible, and of course she wished she could be there for her in person, more than just FaceTiming her, which she gladly did, as much as possible. It was also about how difficult it was to nail down visitation dates with Bianca.

She understood that she was busy right now, but she got the distinct impression, especially in the last few weeks, that she was being brushed off. The whole thing was intensely frustrating, when all she wanted was a few confirmed long weekends with both children, and all Bianca had to do was say “yes” in writing. Surely no one was too busy to check a calendar and type a 3 letter word, right?

Courtney was busy too: she had three different YouTube channels, which involved research, brand relationships, collabs, scripting, filming, editing, and approvals; her podcast; the studio and creative partnerships; overseeing her nonprofit, which included the hands-on work she did at the Carlotta House; her advocacy and activism work; appearances and social media content that she had to keep up with to stay ‘relevant’ as well as producing branded content; being on the PTA at Danny’s school. She also had employees, she also managed teams of people and multiple projects with multiple timelines. And just like Bianca, she’d been a single mother since their kids were 3 years old.

Still, she managed to find the time to respond to emails about their children.

So she just had a hard time believing that Bianca was too busy to respond—that couldn’t be the answer. There had to be another explanation. Was it a power thing? Was she punishing Courtney for their fight? Because that would be a new low, a new level of pettiness—they’d managed, somehow, not to let their children suffer because of their own bullshit so far (at least not directly), but this would make the kids suffer. They missed each other, and wanted to see each other and wanted to see their mothers and if Bianca was letting her own anger get in the way of that-

“Mum?”

Courtney jumped, startled out of her thoughts, arm aching from how aggressively she’d been stabbing at the ground, the same spot over and over. Those poor weeds. She looked up at Danny, trying to plaster a benign smile on her face.

“Hi, darling.”

“Are you gonna be done up here soon?” he asked, shifting a little, biting his lip.

Courtney swallowed. She’d been stressing so much about the child who wasn’t here with her—had she been neglecting the one who was?

“I’m sorry, Danny. Are you alright? Are you hungry? What time is it?”

“I’m okay, I made myself breakfast,” he said, giving her a smile and a pat on the shoulder. “I just, um, think you probably need a break, right? Cause, like, uh…you’ve been out here all morning, and it’s almost noon.”

“Oh.” Courtney looked up at the sky, squinting. She had no idea. She’d been out here since sunrise, and had left her phone inside. The sun was high in the sky, and it was warmer than she’d realized, her t-shirt sticking to her, brow sweaty. She adjusted her hat. Where had all those hours gone? And why was she only now feeling how sore and tense her muscles were from the hours of bending over in the dirt?

“Don’t…um, don’t you want to relax? Like, shower, change, maybe even like…put on a bra?” Danny asked, shifting again.

Courtney turned and looked at him curiously, suddenly wondering just what he was up to, “A bra? Since when are you concerned with me wearing a bra?”

“I’m not concerned,” he said defensively, crossing his arms, “I just think…you know, you should be comfortable. Wouldn’t that make you more comfortable?”

“Is that the message you’re getting from society about boobs? That bras are comfortable?” Courtney asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Oh no, not society,” Danny groaned, slapping a hand against his forehead. “Please, please don’t start talking about society.”

“Okay, sorry. I just…” Courtney paused, recalling Bianca’s description of Danny dressed as Adore over the summer, how he’d worn a padded bra and, according to her, perhaps enjoyed it. “I do…want you to feel comfortable talking to me about this kind of thing, so if you have any questions, you can always ask. It’s very normal to talk about you body, or bodies in general, and breasts are-”

“I don't think it's normal for boys to talk to their mothers about boobs,” Danny said skeptically.

“Well, ‘normal’ is kind of a loaded word, I should have chosen a better one. But it’s certainly natural to be curious. And maybe it’s not typical for boys to talk to their mothers…but…but…” Courtney remembered all too well what it was like to be Danny’s age, to be painfully curious, to the point of obsession, about women’s bodies, but look down at a flat-as-a-board chest and feel nothing but shame, emptiness and panic. She didn’t want Danny to feel a fraction of that. “But, I’m not exactly a typical mother, am I?”

“That’s true…” Danny paused thoughtfully before adding, “Typical mothers wear bras.”

“Touché,” Courtney laughed, shaking her head. “I just want you to know that it’s okay to ask me about-”

“Can we please be done with this conversation? Before my ears start bleeding?”

“Fine, Mr. Sassy Pants,” Courtney said, swatting him on the leg with her gardening gloves. “But I’m here to talk, or even just listen, if you change your mind. Okay?”

“Fantastic,” he deadpanned, then turned to walk away, typing into his phone.

“But Danny-”

“Ughhhhh!” he looked up from his phone, irritated.

“Alright, alright, alright!” Courtney held up her hands in surrender. “Look, I’ll finish up here. And then maybe you can even join me for lunch, if I promise no boob talk?”

“Yes, fine.”

Courtney cracked her neck, rubbing at the stiff muscles.

“Great. Would you mind if I jump in the pool for a little bit first? I’m feeling sore and-”

“No, that’s a great idea!” he exclaimed, eyes lighting up.

“Okay. Thanks,” she said, taken aback. “I appreciate your enthusiasm.”

“Just ‘cause like, I said I wanted you to relax, and I know that swimming helps you relax, especially on a nice day, so…uhh…”

“Well, I do appreciate that,” she told him. “Although you know, I would get to the swimming a lot faster if you helped me out here.”

“I’ll help eat it, does that count?” he asked, giving her his cutest smile and a flutter of lashes.

“No,” she replied, grinning back and ruffling his hair.

“Well…what if I carried some of the baskets in?”

“Really?!”

“Yeah, if it’ll help,” Danny said.

This was an actual first, him volunteering to do any yard work at all. She wasn’t sure what had gotten into him. She decided not to question it, instead just gave him a big hug and kiss and then worked with him to bring in the day’s harvest and put away all the gardening tools in the shed.

She hopped into the outdoor shower to rinse off the dirt and grime, then changed into her swimsuit before getting into the pool, while Danny stretched out on a lounge chair nearby, playing with his Nintendo Switch.

Another only moderately successful method to turn off her chaotic mind was vigorous cardio. She was probably overdoing it—that was her usual MO when she found something that worked. She knew that some of the definition she had now hadn’t been there a month ago, some of the softness and curves gone and replaced with hard muscle tone. Most women would probably like that, but her body was starting to remind her of the way it looked years ago, pre-hormones, and she wasn’t thrilled about it. And yet, as uncomfortable as that was, she couldn’t stop.

(She was probably the only one who would even perceive the changes that way, anyway. To most people, she probably just looked like she’d been to the gym a lot recently.)

Swimming laps was great exercise, and perfect for the hottest part of the day, the weather still feeling like summer. But it wasn’t perfect. Because no matter what she did, how much she tried to focus on the movement and clear her head, Bianca’s words would always be there, bouncing around like a ping-pong ball in the depths of her mind.

He just doesn’t seem all that anxious when he’s with me…

Of course he wasn’t anxious when he was with her. She got to be the fun one. She got to have him on vacations and weekends and holidays. She got to take him to Broadway shows and concerts at Madison Square Garden and Chinese restaurants where drag queens serenaded him while he ate crispy egg rolls. And of course, the source of Courtney’s deepest resentment…Bianca never had to be afraid, not for a second, of losing him.

It wasn’t just that, though. If Courtney was honest with herself, truly honest—what Bianca said had sent her over the edge, not because it was wrong, but because it was right. Of course, she’d wondered the same thing many times. Was she contributing to Danny’s anxiety in some way? Were her own neurotic fears making things worse for him?

She didn’t have any answers. Just question after question after question. No solutions, either, except to swim harder, to work her body to a breaking point, so that she couldn’t think, couldn’t worry, couldn’t do anything except exist. Some time after she began—she had no idea how long—she heard a distant voice calling out. It most likely wasn’t the first time.

“Mum!”

She emerged from the water, gasping for air.

“Mum, look!”

Danny had jumped up from his chair, a big smile on his face. She paddled to the side of the pool and managed to grab the edge, panting, looking in the direction that he was pointing. A small, familiar figure was running towards them, across the grass, navy blue pigtails flying behind her.

Courtney’s mouth dropped open, her heart bursting with joy as she hoisted herself out of the pool as quickly as possible, scrambling onto the stone patio.

“MUM!” Adore cried, flinging herself into Courtney’s arms, apparently not caring that she was dripping wet.

Courtney held her tightly, heart pounding, relieved and shocked that she was actually here, a lump rising in her throat. She clung to her, holding back tears, nose buried in her hair, barely able to believe it was real. Her baby girl, really in her arms, face pressed to her shoulder.

Once she got over her initial shock, she turned her head to look at Danny, who was grinning wildly and jumping up and down with excitement.

“Did you know that she was coming?!” she asked him.

“Uh huh. It was a surprise!” he said.

“Are you surprised?!” Adore croaked out, pulling her face away, cheeks wet with tears.

“I am,” Courtney said, wiping her face tenderly with her thumbs. “And it’s the best surprise I’ve ever had in my whole life.”

Adore smiled and Courtney hugged her tightly once more.

“Come here, love, get in,” Courtney said, beckoning Danny over. He bounded over on the balls of his feet and allowed Courtney to wrap him into the embrace.

She sighed contentedly, squeezing her eyes shut, laying her cheek against Adore’s hair. There was no feeling on the planet as good as both of her babies safe in her arms.

Bianca swallowed, taking a couple of deep breaths. She wanted to let Adore have her surprise moment before ruining everything with what she was pretty certain would be her own unwelcome presence. Which was why she was leaning against the side of the house, the key to the rental car digging into her palm, still not sure whether this was the worst idea she’d ever had in her life. Probably, yes. But either way, she couldn’t hide forever.

Fuck. She wanted a cigarette. She closed her eyes. Not happening. Not here, not now. Instead, she dropped the key into her handbag and then took one last breath, realizing that her stupid heels had sunk into the grass. Why she thought that a pencil skirt and stilettos would be an appropriate outfit for today was anyone’s guess.

Bianca turned around the corner and crossed the grass to the patio, where Courtney was embracing Adore, Danny beside them, his arms wrapped around them both. They all looked so happy. A lump rose up in her throat.

She slowed her pace, more uncertain than ever about coming here. Should she have just dropped Adore off and gone to the hotel? Was this going to be a disaster?

“Mama!” Danny spotted her first, waving and skipping over happily. At least one person there would be glad to have her around.

“Hey, bunny,” Bianca hugged him, kissing the top of his head. “Did you get taller?”

“You always say that,” he laughed.

By now, of course, Courtney had realized that she was there. Bianca absolutely hated the stricken look on her face as she took Bianca in—like she was wounded by her mere presence. Well how the fuck else did she think Adore had appeared on her property? A spaceship?

On the other hand, what Bianca didn’t hate was the sight of her fresh from the pool, skin glistening wet, hair in a fat braid over her shoulder. The red one-piece she wore was a simple cut, showing off her body to absolute perfection. Bianca tried not to get too distracted, but damn.

“Um…hi,” Bianca said, giving her a tentative wave, letting Danny lead her closer by the hand.

“Hi,” Courtney replied, swallowing, looking a little lost as Adobe slipped out of her arms to pull on Danny’s T-shirt sleeve.

“Roach! I want to show you who I just invited to the camp. Raymond! I've got screenshots of him on the seesaw with Chief!” Adore said. She whipped out her phone to show him whatever godforsaken game they were obsessed with at the moment.

“Awesome! And come check out Splatfest! Deep Cut sing Anarchy Rainbow, and Big Man’s boss fight is straight out of Super Mario Sunshine…” he said, leading her over to a lounge chair where his Nintendo was, both of them chattering happily in a language Bianca didn’t understand for the life of her.

She stood awkwardly with Courtney, a strange and uncomfortable distance apart.

“What, um…what are you doing here?” Courtney asked, reaching for a towel. She wrapped it around her shoulders, taking on the appearance of a disaster victim, shivering after being pulled out of a sinking lifeboat.

“I um, heard you have some really nice tomatoes,” Bianca told her, attempting to lighten the mood.

Courtney stared at her, unblinking. “Is that supposed to be funny?”

“...yes?” Bianca said, trying not to let her voice shake with uncertainty.

Courtney nodded, her expression unchanging, and Bianca sighed, defeated. Not a good start.

“I’m looking at some retail space,” Bianca then explained, changing gears, as matter-of-fact as possible. “The investors want to go full speed ahead with the new stores, so…”

“Oh. Oh, that’s great. I mean, good for you.” Courtney managed a smile, which Bianca supposed was very generous of her given the circumstances.

“Thanks.” Bianca let out a little sigh of relief. Her attempt at levity had failed, but at least Courtney was being civil, now that she knew the real story. “I’m sorry for being cagey about the visitation dates, but Adore got it in her head to surprise you, and so-”

“No, I get it, that makes sense now,” Courtney said. Her grip on the towel had loosened. It now seemed less like a blanket protecting her from the elements, and more like a shawl. Bianca chose to see that as a good sign.

“Mum!” Adore cried, skipping back towards them. “Can we go see my room?!”

“That’s a great idea!” Courtney said, relieved. She put an arm around Adore. “Um, why don’t you guys take a minute and go use the restroom, get a drink? And I’ll go rinse off and throw something on, then meet you in the kitchen?”

“Sure,” Bianca said.

“Don’t take too long, I want to see it!” Adore cried, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“You can give her twenty minutes to get dressed, Adore,” Bianca said, shaking her head.

“Five minutes,” Adore pouted, ignoring Bianca and looking up at Courtney with fluttering lashes.

“I’ll do my best!” Courtney gave her one more kiss and hurried towards a building next to the pool, straight for what Bianca had to assume was her bedroom.

A separate building for the master suite? Interesting.

Meanwhile, Adore followed Danny towards the main house.

Which was fucking massive.

She hadn’t really taken it all in before, because she was too nervous, but the place was a sprawling compound, with a huge house, more like a damn mansion than a ‘farmhouse,’ along with several smaller buildings (which were still big, but it was all relative, Bianca supposed). It didn’t look like this on YouTube, that was for sure.

She knew that there would be an extraordinary view. Courtney had been posting about #thisviewtho for years. It was the main reason she’d bought the property. And she knew that there was a big vegetable garden, and a lot of trees. But despite watching videos on her channel, not to mention seeing pictures of the kids there over the years, and FaceTiming them, Bianca had never even imagined the size of the house itself.

The kitchen looked like something out of a magazine, with a 12-burner stove and 4 ovens. She’d seen Courtney’s cooking videos on YouTube, and she was confused as fuck, because it seemed much smaller there. Maybe they used angles that only showed half the room and appliances? Bianca shrugged, shaking her head.

She drank a little of the ice water that Danny offered, and then went into a nearby powder room, where she was able to take a couple of minutes to herself to get her bearings.

Bianca leaned over the sink, hands pressed into the sides of the reclaimed wood vanity, eyes closed. She had a plan. She’d discussed the whole thing with Shangie multiple times before she left New York. Apologize, fill her in, tell her what I want without being demanding, then leave it in her hands…

Although, Shangie was sure to warn her that her plan needed to be flexible.

“You have to make sure to listen as much as you talk,” Shangie warned, more than once. “Maybe more, knowing you. You know what? Definitely more. Listen first, in fact.”

“What makes you think I’m not planning to listen?” Bianca had asked, and off Shangela’s pointed eyebrow raise, quickly followed up with, “Don’t answer that.”

Bianca stared at her reflection. She knew that she looked terrible these days. She hadn’t been eating, and her skin was drawn and sallow. The bags under her eyes were practically suitcases, requiring layers and layers of heavy-duty color-correcting concealer and powder to cover up. She opened up her handbag and began the tedious task of touching up her makeup, making herself look as presentable as possible.

When she was finally satisfied (or at least, as close as she was gonna get), she finished off with a light facial mist that promised to be both moisturizing and calming. It was probably bullshit, but since she couldn’t have a cigarette, she figured it wouldn’t hurt.

She sighed heavily and went back into the kitchen, surprised to see Courtney already there, showing Adore something on her phone. She figured that she was going to shower and change, but it appeared that when she said “rinse off,” that was exactly what she meant. Her blonde hair was loose from the braid, drying in waves over her shoulders. She was also still wearing her bathing suit, the damp red material visible through her linen cover-up. Bianca didn’t hate the overall effect.

“Hi,” Bianca said, adding, “that was fast.”

“I didn’t want to keep you waiting,” Courtney explained. “So I just used the outdoor shower by the pool house.”

“Ahh. Right.” Bianca nodded, as if ‘outdoor shower by the pool house’ was a normal phrase that regular people said in conversation. At least it explained why she was going for the smaller building earlier—the ‘pool house,’ which was probably the size of Bianca’s Hamptons house.

“Can we go up now?!” Adore asked, hugging Courtney’s waist and batting her lashes.

“Sure!” Courtney gave her shoulder a squeeze, and they headed in the direction of a staircase off the kitchen. “Your timing is perfect, actually! I was determined to be finished before your birthday, and we just hung your chandelier a few days ago. It’s pretty much all done now.”

“It is?! Why didn’t you send me pictures?!” Adore squealed.

“Well, you’re not the only one who likes surprises,” Courtney laughed, tickling her in the ribs.

As they climbed the stairs, Danny slipped his hand into Bianca’s. She looked at him and smiled gratefully, squeezing his hand in return. What a good fucking kid.

“She’s gonna be really excited,” Danny whispered, “Mum’s been working so hard on it.”

“Yeah?” Bianca asked.

Danny nodded, grinning, and Bianca smiled at him, impressed at how genuinely happy he seemed for his sister getting something nice. Not even a trace of resentment or rivalry. It certainly wasn’t anything like the relationship she’d ever had with her own sisters.

They’d just reached the landing when Bianca heard Adore’s shrieks of joy coming from the bedroom.

“I guess she likes it,” she commented drily, and Danny laughed, nodding. He led her into the room, and Bianca’s eyes widened.

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but this was truly something else. Bianca could see Adore’s taste everywhere: the colors, which were mostly black and charcoal and deep, rich purple, with accents of violet and lavender; the big queen-sized bed with black velvet headboard in the middle of the room; the collection of ridiculous and impractical throw pillows; the zebra-print rug; the gothic, witchy touches like the antique dresser, the purple lace ribbons that held the blackout curtains open; the framed prints on the wall of SIX: The Musical and The Craft and the incredible smoke-glass chandelier that Adore had told her all about already.

Bianca could also see what was obviously Courtney’s own agenda: the quiet alcove where a computer desk sat, stacked with neatly labeled and organized school supplies, beside a beautiful, half-full bookcase. There were a few shelves on the wall which contained carefully placed knickknacks, souvenirs, and family photos, including some from camp, and one of Adore and Danny from this summer at Six Flags that Bianca had taken.

Looking around, it was quite obvious how much time and care had gone into this room. It wasn’t just some slapdash design job. It was a labor of love, and Adore could tell too. She exclaimed over every detail, hugging Courtney over and over. When she opened one of the organizer boxes on the bookshelves, she started to cry, burying her face in Courtney’s chest and sobbing like a baby.

Bianca swallowed. She wasn’t sure what the tears were about, but figured that whatever it was, she could safely blame herself for keeping them apart for so long. It was just more evidence that she was making the right decision. She took a deep breath through her nose. Small talk, apologize, explain, request...don’t get ahead of yourself, bitch. You’re still in small talk.

She breathed slowly, walking forward to look closer at the bed, letting them have their moment. Courtney was whispering something to Adore, making her giggle, before taking her hand and leading her around the bed to the other side to show her something less emotional.

“This looks really…incredible,” Bianca said, touching the duvet cover, plush charcoal velvet embroidered with moody gothic-looking roses in various shades of purple. She knew damn well how expensive that kind of fabric was.

“It really does,” Danny said.

“Jealous?” Adore asked. She stretched out on a plush, aubergine-colored chaise lounge in front of the window, slipping on a new pair of cat-eye glasses encrusted with rhinestones, her mood clearly lifted as she teased, “You still have that baby room.”

“My room is cool too,” Danny said.

“Your room is full of dinosaurs,” Adore countered.

“Dinosaurs are cool,” Danny volleyed back.

Adore scoffed, as if that was the most ridiculous statement she’d ever heard, but then smiled, looking at Courtney and saying, “Kids. Gotta love ‘em, amiright?”

“Absolutely,” Courtney said, stifling a chuckle.

“We do,” Bianca chimed in. “Even when they’re 11-year-olds who talk like they have a martini in their hand.”

“Almost 12,” Adore corrected her, and then gasped, jumping up to examine a vintage jewelry box on her nightstand. Courtney had really gone overboard.

“Do you want to see my room?” Danny asked Bianca, almost shyly.

“I’d love to,” Bianca said.

“Ooh, we should take Mama on like, a whole house tour!” said Adore, suddenly showing more affection for Bianca than she had in several weeks. “She’s never been here.”

Bianca exchanged a look with Courtney, brief but panicked, both of them clearly thinking the same thing.

“Why don’t you guys do that, and I’ll put together some lunch?” Courtney suggested. “I assume everyone is gonna want to eat soon, yeah?”

“Omigod, yes, I’m starving!”

“Great. Just come to the patio when you’re ready.” Courtney kissed the top of Adore’s head.

Bianca let out a sigh of relief. The small talk part of her plan could only go on for so long. She didn’t think she could handle an extended tour of however big this property was without things getting incredibly weird between them. There was too much, way too much, that she needed to say.

For now, at least, all of that could wait.

#rpdr fanfiction #veronica #masters of the scene #s6 #adore delano #bianca del rio #courtney act #bitney #parent trap au #bitney parent trap #lesbian au #trans character #kid fic #angst #fluff

5 notes · View notes

artificialqueens · 2 years ago

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Masters of the Scene, Chapter 23 (Bitney Parent Trap AU) - Veronica

A/N: Hey all! Sorry for the unintended break! When we last left off, Bianca had taken the initiative to confess her feelings, and how much she wanted to be a family again. After trying to deny that she felt the same way, Courtney had finally given in an allowed herself to return Bianca’s feelings.

Click here for prequels and previous chapters, or here if you’d rather read on AO3.

Chapter Summary: Family bonding all around. (FYI: While things do get a little spicy in this chapter, there’s no actual smut.)

***

Bianca exited the bathroom, tying the belt on her silk robe. She’d wanted a shower since arriving, always feeling strangely dirty after a cross-country flight, and had just taken full and glorious advantage of Courtney’s spa shower.

She felt incredible—and not just because of the luxurious spa shower, or the sheer number of expensive moisturizers she’d massaged into her skin. A huge, oppressive weight had been lifted from her chest and she felt better, and lighter, than she had in years. They still had a lot to talk about, of course, but knowing that they were on the same page was exhilarating.

She padded across the floor to the walk-in closet, where Courtney had helpfully set up her luggage, suitcase open on top of a dresser and every item from the overstuffed garment bag hanging up. She’d even set out a steamer for her, knowing how meticulous she was about wrinkles.

Bianca pawed through the suitcase for a pair of underwear, catching a glimpse of a red gift box and nearly reaching for it, before realizing that it would be way too much, too soon.

Slow down, bitch.

She shook her head, pulling out a pair of plain black cotton panties, then changing her mind and reaching deeper, fingers closing on some delicate mesh.

Couldn’t hurt to be prepared.

She stepped into the sheer, bright pink panties, sliding them on as she considered what to change into. Most of what she packed was for work; there wasn’t a lot of leisurewear. She made a mental note to do some shopping during the week, pick up some cute things to wear around the house. A fantasy began to take form in her mind, just a simple one: the two of them curled up on the sofa in the family room, a glass of wine in one hand, the other trailing her fingers through Courtney’s hair.

A gentle knock sounded on the door, breaking her out of her thoughts.

“Come in!” Bianca called, smiling when Courtney opened the door. “You really don’t have to knock. It’s your room.”

“Well, you still deserve privacy…” Courtney said, smiling back. She shut the door behind her. “I just wanted to check and see if you found everything you needed. Um, towels, and…”

“Yeah. I got everything I need,” Bianca said. It was true, in so many ways, and the comment hung, pleasantly heavy, in the air between them. “Sorry, I maybe took a little too long in the shower. I know you probably try to conserve water.”

“Actually, we have a greywater filtration system, so it mostly goes to water the plants. And then any extra goes to a community fire-fighting reservoir. And, um…” Courtney trailed off, sitting on the edge of the bed, pressing her lips together.

Bianca got the sense that she was stopping herself from giving a full TEDTalk about sustainable water use, and found it incredibly charming. “So…I don’t have to feel guilty about the 45-minute shower, is what you’re saying?”

“No. No guilt.”

“Good to know…” Bianca held Courtney’s gaze for a few seconds, leaning against the closet door frame, until an adorable shade of pink began to creep into her cheeks.

“So, um…” Courtney cleared her throat, looking down, and Bianca got the sense that her mind was running at a million miles a minute.

“Listen,” she began, wanting to nip whatever intense thought spiral Courtney was going down in the bud. She walked to the bed and sat down gingerly beside her, a respectable distance away. “I know we have a lot of…heavy things to talk about.”

“Yeah,” Courtney agreed softly.

“But I think, and I’m not saying we should ignore them or avoid them, but, just, for the sake of having those discussions in a way that feels…uh…safer, I guess—I think maybe we should save those topics for Tuesday. Is that…would that be okay with you?”

Courtney nodded, looking as relieved as she felt. “Yeah, I think that’s…a good idea.”

It would be so easy for them to fuck up any progress they’d made, and right now that was Bianca’s worst fear. That she would say or do something to ruin the most long-awaited reunion of her life—one that she’d frankly considered an impossible dream until recently.

“Okay,” Bianca said with another smile, the tension in her shoulders melting. “Um…are the kids getting along okay?”

“Totally!” she said. “They went for a swim, and now Danny’s showing Adore the Instagram profiles of all their classmates. I said that wasn’t a good way to judge people and I was quickly told off.”

“You said that social media isn’t a good way to judge people?” Bianca asked, amused, one eyebrow lifting as she reminded Courtney, “You’re an influencer.”

“Yes, they pointed that out,” Courtney admitted with a sheepish chuckle. “They also perhaps used the term ‘hypocrite’ and possibly requested that I leave the room. Or, well, demanded, actually. Which is fine. It’ll be nice for them to have some time to bond.”

“Mmm. So…that gives us time to bond, huh?” Bianca asked, tilting her head, fingers playing with the edge of her robe.

“Yeah…I suppose so,” Courtney said lightly, as if it was the first time it occurred to her. Her eyes traveled slowly up Bianca’s body.

As Bianca met her gaze, a pleasantly tingly feeling curled in her abdomen, the potential for the afternoon blossoming into something wonderful. Courtney looked away bashfully, her cheeks flushing. Bianca’s mind immediately went back to that red box.

“I, um, have something for you,” said Bianca carefully. “Would it be okay to give it to you now?”

“Really?!” Courtney clasped her hands together, showing the same childlike glee at the thought of a present that Bianca remembered, from so many years ago.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Bianca said with a wink, and got up to get it. “I noticed that you wear those Cartier bracelets a lot, and we did some work with them on this editorial shoot recently, so…”

She pulled the signature Cartier red box from her suitcase and handed it over. She pushed down the pang of her earlier anxiety as Courtney opened the box with a curious smile.

A small gasp fell from her lips once she opened the box, seeing the necklace laying on a cushion of black velvet. It was a Cartier ‘LOVE’ necklace in the same yellow gold she favored. As the grin disappeared from Courtney’s face, Bianca felt a flash of her earlier anxiety—should she have waited?

“Bianca,” Courtney breathed. “This is…”

She looked up, her eyes misty with tears, and Bianca forced out a laugh.

“Don’t worry, I got a real good discount,” she joked.

“I…” Courtney began to speak, but then bit her lip.

��I just, I really want you to know that I’m…all in,” Bianca said softly. God, why did she suck so hard at this? She squeezed her eyes shut, embarrassed, only to feel Courtney’s hand against her cheek, lips being pressed to hers.

She kissed Courtney back, savoring the taste of her, the softness of her touch. When they parted, she took a shaky breath, trying to stop the tears that burned in her eyes.

“I’m all in too, B,” Courtney murmured, nuzzling into her cheek.

Bianca smiled, her heart finally at peace as she wrapped her arms around Courtney’s waist.

“And this is…I mean, thank you,” Courtney added, swallowing.

“You’re welcome.” Bianca brushed a lock of hair out of Courtney’s eyes. A moment of silence passed between them, and Bianca cleared her throat, hoping that she hadn’t made the vibes too heavy. “So…bonding, huh?”

“Right.” Courtney grinned, giggling cutely.

Bianca grinned back, dimples deep, finally feeling confident that everything was okay.

“Did you, um, have enough closet space?” Courtney then asked, clearing her throat again, gesturing behind them to the walk-in. “Because if not, we could-”

“No, it’s fine. And honestly, if anyone ever complains about space in this house, you should punch them in the face.”

“I would never punch you,” Courtney said gravely, adding a coy, “Maybe a…gentle spanking. If you asked nicely.”

“Nice to know that’s on the table,” Bianca told her with a smirk.

Courtney giggled, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“Seriously, the closet’s fine. Thanks for hanging everything. And, um, once I have more stuff, I can always add another dresser or something,” said Bianca.

Courtney opened a door next to the closet, showing Bianca the adjacent office with a computer desk and bookshelves, and quite a bit of unused space.

“But I don’t use it that much anymore, so if you want…”

“Oh, this is perfect,” Bianca said, stepping inside. “That corner over there has plenty of room for another dresser, some shelves for shoes. And even some hanging racks if we need that.”

“Sure, yeah, we could do that,” Courtney said. “Or…”

Bianca looked at her curiously.

“I mean, it’s been part of the long-term plan for awhile, but before now I didn’t have a reason for it. But, if we knock down that wall, we can make the whole office a giant walk-in and dressing room. It would quadruple the space in the current closet, at least.”

Bianca’s eyes widened in delight. “Are you kidding? Or just talking dirty…?”

A wicked glint flashed in Courtney’s eyes as she reached forward, toying with the silky belt on Bianca’s robe. “With custom shelving…”

Bianca smirked, playing along with a breathy, “Keep going…”

“Racks of clothes sorted by type…length…color…” Courtney’s hands were on her hips now, guiding her backward into the bedroom until her knees hit the bed frame, where she pushed her gently onto her back.

“Uh huh…”

Courtney crawled forward, continuing as her fingers trailed teasingly up Bianca’s thigh, “Floor to ceiling, light-up display shelves for your shoes and handbags…”

Bianca moaned, now only half-kidding as Courtney’s lips found her pulse point, brushing over the tender skin and sending a wave of electricity down her spine. “Fuck…”

A whimper fell from her lips as Courtney’s fingers found the edge of her panties.

Then suddenly, without warning, aggressive pounding on the door startled her out of her bliss.

“Hey! Open up!”

They instinctually sprang apart at the noise, panting.

“Ugh,” Bianca groaned good-naturedly, “You didn’t tell me you have kids.”

“Yeah, a couple,” Courtney laughed as the pounding continued.

“Dealbreaker,” Bianca grumbled, pulling her robe closed.

“Sorry.”

“Why’s the door locked?!”

“Just a moment, darlings!” Courtney called, rising from the bed.

“Good call on the lock,” Bianca muttered quietly.

“Not my first rodeo,” Courtney whispered with a wink. She walked to the door and pulled it open, the kids all but falling inside. “Yes?”

“Hi,” Danny said casually, strolling in. Adore followed with a knowing grin on her face.

“Sure, come on in,” Courtney joked, flopping down on the bed.

“Whatcha doin?” Adore asked coyly.

“Talking,” Bianca replied.

“Uh huh, is that what you kids are calling it these days?”

“You know-” Bianca began, a sarcastic comeback on the tip of her tongue, but Courtney put a hand on her leg and cut in.

“Are you guys alright?”

“Yeah, we were just thinking…” Danny said, “Wouldn’t it be fun if we went out somewhere really nice for dinner?”

“Hmmm, what did you have in mind?” Courtney asked, wrapping her arm around Danny’s shoulders.

“Well…” Adore crawled forward on the bed as well, curling up next to Bianca. She patted her on the thigh, saying, “Keep your legs closed. Don’t want to give poor Danny a sex ed lesson he’s not ready for.”

“I’m wearing underwear,” Bianca informed her. Sheer, mesh underwear, but they didn’t need to know that.

“Good for you, want a medal?”

“I know all about anatomy,” Danny piped in. “Mum bought me books when I was like 5. They came with little dolls.”

“Gross,” Adore said, wrinkling her nose. “Also, pretty sure looking at a doll is not the same as looking at your own mother’s bush.”

“Once again! I’m wearing underwear! No one’s seeing my bush!” Bianca insisted, though she made sure to clamp her knees together tightly, and put a throw pillow on her lap for extra safety.

Danny looked at Courtney, cringing.

“Yeah, you were embarrassed this morning when I mentioned boobs,” she teased. “They’re gonna talk like that every day.”

“Sorry, bunny,” Bianca said, chagrined. She supposed that the way she spoke to Adore might not always be terribly appropriate for Danny.

“Bunny’s gonna grow up fast,” Adore giggled.

“Can we just get back to the restaurant?” Danny pleaded.

“Oh yeah. We both really like Nobu,” Adore said.

“Ahh, sushi, speaking of vaginas…” Courtney chimed in, making Bianca snort with laughter.

“Mum!” Danny said, looking ten times as horrified as he was before. Clearly, he held Courtney to a much higher standard of appropriateness. Probably justified.

“Sorry,” Courtney gave a cheeky smile that said she wasn’t sorry at all.

Bianca turned to Adore, pinching her thigh lightly. “Nobu, huh? Are you two paying?”

“I would, if you gave me the Amex again,” Adore offered generously.

“It’s not the Amex, it’s my Amex,” Bianca clarified.

“Potato, po-tah-to…”

“There’s also that place by the pier, the Malibu Farm,” Danny suggested.

“More fuckin’ farms?” Bianca asked. “What is it with LA and farms?”

“We like vegetables,” Courtney said.

“Oh! Or that one where we went in Santa Monica, some kind of weird fruit…uh…pomegranate? Or kumquat?” Adore said.

“Fig?” Danny guessed.

“Yeah!”

“Okay, so what I’m understanding is that you guys are pretty open to any restaurant, as long as it’s expensive,” Courtney said, laughing.

“Yes. Because it’s a special night.”

“Alright. Well let me see what I can do.” She hauled herself off the bed and pulled out her phone.

“Why is she calling? Do you not have Open Table here?” Bianca asked. “Are we time traveling to the 90s for dinner?”

“Omigod, I wish,” Adore breathed.

“She’s using her celebrity status to get us a table,” Danny explained. “Since it’s kinda last minute.”

Bianca nodded. “Ahh, I see. I didn’t realize she was that level of celebrity.”

“Oh yeah,” Adore said. “At least C-list.”

“So, what’s the difference between D-list and C-list?” Bianca asked.

“Money,” Danny said, making Bianca chuckle, just as Courtney hung up and gave them all a bright smile.

“Alright, we got Nobu at 6:45! Don’t say I never did nothin’ for ya!” She climbed back on the bed, tickling both kids, who squealed happily.

Bianca leaned her head back on a pillow with a contented sigh. The last time they’d all piled on a bed together was when the kids were 4 years old. It was a much smaller bed, in a much smaller living space, back when they were doing everything they could to hold their lives together, clinging to the shreds of their relationship by their fingernails.

In the back of her mind, Bianca had been a little worried that things might be awkward or strange—after all, the kids didn’t remember their lives before. Would there be an adjustment period? But seeing her family all together, it just felt right.

“I have another question for you guys,” Courtney said, “Since it’s your birthday next weekend…”

“Oh yeah, it is…” Danny said, tapping on his chin, as if it had just occurred to him for the first time that he had a birthday coming up.

“Yeah, and we’ve been planning a party at the La Brea Tar Pits for Danny…”

“Tar Pits? That sounds like a school trip,” Adore said, making a face.

“No, it’s really fun!” Danny exclaimed, “There’s a 3D movie and a show all about the Ice Age, and you get to see the paleontologists excavate fossils live! It’s so cool!”

Adore turned to Bianca, her face contorted into a helpless grimace that told her exactly how she felt about a live fossil excavation.

“Be nice,” Bianca told her.

“Honey, it’s okay, I kind of assumed that the Tar Pits wouldn’t be your cup of tea,” Courtney said. “So I think we should plan something special for you, too. I mean, 12 is a pretty big birthday.”

“Well…I can’t have a party,” Adore said, her lower lip sticking out in a pout, “I don’t have any friends here yet.”

“I did consider that. Which is why I was thinking that maybe we could start planning something once you’ve been here for a few weeks, and you know who you’d want to invite.”

“Yeah, maybe…” Adore shrugged.

“And that means having the party in about a month, which just so happens to be real close to Halloween…” Courtney trailed off. “But, would you like that, or…?”

“Oh, I dunno, Court,” Bianca said, catching on. “I don’t think she’d be into a Halloween party. All that spooky stuff?”

“Shut up, I love spooky stuff!” Adore cried. “Halloween is my favorite!”

“Oh right, now I remember,” Courtney teased. “So…then should that be our plan? A Halloween-slash-birthday party, once you’re settled in?”

“Yeah!” Adore sighed happily, resting her head on Bianca’s shoulder.

“Fantastic,” Courtney said, pressing a kiss to Danny’s head. “So…let’s get ready for this special dinner, hmm?”

***

Courtney walked into the kitchen, where Bianca was sitting at the table, typing at her laptop. She looked incredible, in a scoop-necked, hot pink sweater and studded black leather jacket. As usual, her hair was shining, and every accessory was immaculately selected to compliment her ensemble. Her makeup was perfect, too, a glamorous smoky eye and her usual ruby lipstick traded for a brighter pink.

Even better than how amazing she looked, though, was what an absolute joy it was to see her so casually comfortable at the kitchen table, one elbow resting under her chin, a tall glass of iced coffee beside her. (Courtney didn’t miss the fact that she’d put a coaster under it to protect the reclaimed wood, or that she was using a metal straw.)

Courtney was flooded with gratitude—that Bianca had taken such extreme measures to come here, to prove her devotion, to be the one brave enough to put her heart on the line when she’d been too terrified, too defensive. For a second, she wondered if she deserved it, that fear sneaking into her stomach when she was least expecting it. Could she ever measure up to Bianca’s expectations?

But then, Bianca looked up from the computer, and her face melted into the most charming, dimpled grin. “Hey there.”

“Hi,” Courtney said shyly, biting her lip. “How do I look?”

Instead of a knee-jerk response, Bianca took her time taking in Courtney’s whole outfit, her eyes traveling up and down her body. She was wearing a black sundress trimmed with Spanish lace, gladiator sandals, and a canary-yellow cashmere pashmina thrown around her shoulders. She hoped that the yellow and gold jewelry she had on didn’t look tacky with her shiny red nail polish. She especially wouldn’t have wanted to cheapen the absolutely beautiful gold necklace Bianca gave her earlier, now proudly around her neck.

After a few moments, when Bianca still didn’t offer any comment, Courtney prodded, “So…is it okay? Do you approve?”

“Yes,” Bianca said simply, eyes raking over her body once more, adding, “You look perfect.”

“Thanks. And you…” Courtney felt her cheeks heating up as she basked in the glow of Bianca’s attention. Finally, she bit her lip, breaking eye contact, trying not to let herself get distracted from the mission at hand, which was a wholesome family dinner with the kids. “Um, are you ready to go, or-”

“Oh, yeah, almost. Two minutes and I’ll be done here,” Bianca said, giving another dimpled grin before returning to the computer.

“Sure,” Courtney said. She went over to the stairs to call the kids down, her hand grazing Bianca’s arm as she passed by, the smooth leather luxurious against her fingertips.

Adore came skipping out first, looking every bit as adorable as her name in a little black denim skirt, distressed jean jacket and tights, a plethora of goth-y silver jewelry, and ankle boots that could have been stolen from Bianca’s closet. But the icing on the cake was her T-shirt that read ‘Favorite Daughter.’

“Hi Mum! Whoa, you look hot, nice dress,” Adore said.

“Thank you, baby, and you look absolutely beautiful.” Courtney wrapped an arm around her, kissing the top of her head, right in between her purple space buns.

“You like the shirt?” Adore asked, fluttering her lashes.

“It’s perfect. And you are my favorite daughter.”

“Ooh, don’t let Danny hear that,” Adore teased.

“Well, he’s my favorite son-and there he is!” Courtney exclaimed, as Danny sailed into the room. He had really outdone himself, wearing a rainbow romper and an assortment of butterfly clips in his hair.

“Who’s your favorite son?” he asked, hopping up onto one of the bar stools at the counter, crossing his ankles delicately. He’d put on some colorful, glittery eye makeup and carried a little black cat wristlet purse that Courtney had put in his Easter basket the previous year. Blue, heart-shaped sunglasses were stuck into the neck of his romper.

It made Courtney sublimely happy to see both of her kids expressing themselves exactly the way they wanted, in a way that she’d never felt safe to do growing up. She reached for his huarache sandal-clad foot and gave it a squeeze.

“You are, without a doubt,” she told him. “And stunning, too.”

“Aww, thanks Mum!” he said, tossing his hair and giving her a charming smile, so much like Bianca’s that it warmed Courtney’s heart.

“Alright, done,” Bianca proclaimed, shutting her laptop with a sigh. “You guys ready to go?”

“Yup!”

Bianca rose from the table, giving Courtney a better look at the high-waisted leather shorts that showed off her long, shapely legs perfectly. She picked up her Birkin from the table and surveyed the kids, saying, “Wow, we are quite a group, aren’t we?”

“Hashtag fam goals,” Adore said.

“Uh huh, very that. Although, uh, Danny…”

Courtney tensed up slightly, praying that Bianca didn’t say anything to undermine his confidence.

“...You know it’s fall, right bunny?” she finished, and Courtney exhaled, relieved and a tiny bit ashamed for doubting her.

Danny giggled, sliding off the counter with a shrug.

“That’s your issue with his outfit?” Adore asked, heading for the door. “That it’s out of season? It looks like a rainbow fairy threw up on him.”

Bianca swatted her on the butt as she passed, barking, “Be nice!”

“I don’t mind that description,” Danny said. “Rainbow fairies are cool.”

“Indeed,” Courtney chimed in.

“I just don’t want you to be cold,” Bianca told him.

“He’ll be fine. We dress for summer year-round here,” said Courtney.

“You’re wearing cashmere.”

“It’s just a wrap, for when it gets chilly later,” she said. “And I’ll share with him if I need to.”

“Sorry, nobody is gonna ask why he’s got sunglasses on?” Adore asked. “It’s almost dark.”

“They’re in case we get papped.” Danny put on the heart-shaped glasses and diva-walked to the door, proclaiming, “Let’s go!”

Adore followed, rolling her eyes, and Courtney’s eyes met Bianca’s, both of them laughing at their kids’ antics.

Outside, the sun was in fact low in the sky, making everything glow with soft pink light, which they decided they needed to capture, having a little impromptu family photo shoot.

“Mum, this would be such a good look for your Insta,” Adore said, “Go stand over there and I’ll take your picture.”

Courtney laughed, handing over her phone and saying, “Okay, but quick, because I’m hungry.”

She posed where Adore had directed, giving her best model faces while Adore called out, “Yaaaas! Werk! Stunning! New pose! Yaaaas! C’mon angles!” while Danny laughed and clapped.

“Are you actually planning to use these pictures?” Bianca asked.

“I guess, if they’re good,” Courtney said, changing her pose again for Adore.

“Work it, gorge! Stun! Omigod, you’re a model!”

“Alright, give me that,” Bianca said, snatching the phone out of Adore’s hand.

“Rude!” Adore exclaimed.

“Watch and learn,” Bianca said, then turned to Courtney, directing her to, “move a little to the left. Now, think of the shawl as a background to silhouette the dress, so create a nice shape, draped behind you.”

“This feels weird,” said Courtney, trying to follow her instructions without being awkward.

“No, that’s good. Hold that. Tilt your chin down. Not that much. Look at a spot like…there,” she said, pointing, “and think about something deep… Not that deep, we want model, not astrophysicist.”

“Don’t make me laugh!” Courtney warned, trying not to move too much.

“Just think about, uh…love… Good.” Bianca snapped a few shots, then said, “Now think about sex…”

Behind her, the kids tittered with laughter, and Courtney felt her cheeks blaze. Bianca reached behind her and snapped, causing them both to shut up instantly, before directing her full attention back to Courtney, who swallowed. The confidence, that air of authority she’d always had, made Courtney’s pulse quicken.

“Ignore them, listen to me. Yup, better.”

Bianca’s voice was soft but firm, and Courtney found it easy to go along with her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she imagined that voice in her ear, Bianca’s hands sliding up her thighs.

“Now, without turning your head, look at me…”

Courtney shifted her gaze to lock eyes with Bianca, a thrill rippling through her as she did.

“Got it,” Bianca said, then showed the phone to Adore triumphantly. “See? That’s Insta-worthy.”

“Oh, those are better,” Danny said, peering at the screen. “Like way better.”

“Exactly. And that’s why you don’t hire a child to do a woman’s job,” Bianca teased, popping her tongue. She handed the phone back to Courtney, eyes sparkling, fingers brushing against hers.

“Thank you.” Courtney dropped the phone in her bag and pulled out her car keys, letting Bianca take her other hand as they headed for the car.

“It’s not really fair to compare them,” Adore complained. “I can’t tell her to think about sex and look at me. I mean, I could, but-”

“Please don’t,” said Danny.

“I second that request,” Courtney giggled, giddy from the feeling of Bianca’s fingers laced with hers.

***

“So…what do you kids feel like doing now?” Courtney asked, after they arrived back home.

They’d eaten a delicious dinner, but even better than the food was how easy it felt for the four of them to be together. Bianca had been a little concerned when the night began; that nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her not to get too comfortable, because she could—and would—screw it up at any time. Probably by getting into some stupid and avoidable fight.

But so far, it wasn’t like that at all. For most of the meal, the conversation was dominated by the kids chattering happily, across the table from them, she and Courtney only occasionally chiming in. It seemed that both of them were content to simply relax and enjoy the evening, the feeling of being beside each other at last.

It was the little things that Bianca found herself appreciating. The way she rested her arm casually on the back of Courtney’s chair, fingers occasionally brushing her bare shoulder where the shawl had slipped down. Or the way Courtney would cast furtive glances at her throughout the meal, a naughty gleam in her eyes, anticipation building in her belly for what would happen later, when they were alone. Or even just the way she laughed along with the kids—Bianca had missed hearing her laugh.

Now, back at the house, Courtney continued, asking the kids, “Do you want to watch a movie, or-”

“Actually,” Adore cut her off. “I’m like, super tired.”

“You are?” Courtney asked.

“Yeah, it’s past midnight in New York. I really think I should go to sleep early. Right, Roach?”

“But I’m not tired,” Danny began, and Adore elbowed him in the side.

“Don’t you need to rest your foot?” she asked pointedly. “The one that you hurt earlier?”

Bianca smiled at the blatant lie, catching Courtney’s eye and exchanging a secret grin. Adore could be a tremendous cockblocker when she wanted to be, but it appeared she could also be a great wingman. She was really living up to that ‘Favorite Daughter’ shirt.

“My foot?” Danny asked, brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking ab-OW!”

“Adore!” Bianca scolded, since she’d clearly stepped on his poor foot behind the kitchen island, and it probably hurt like hell, given that he was wearing sandals and she was in chunky-heeled boots. Courtney rushed to his side, concerned.

“What? He hurt his foot, I was just reminding him,” Adore said innocently.

“Be nice, before we both get kicked out!” Bianca barked, annoyed.

“Are you alright?” Courtney asked Danny, who was still grimacing in pain and scowling at Adore.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just need to rest my foot, apparently.”

“Aw, want me to help you upstairs, bro?” Adore asked sweetly.

“Sure. Thanks, sis!” Danny said sarcastically.

“Don’t you guys want us to tuck you in?” Courtney asked, her arm still around Danny. She pressed a kiss to his temple.

“No, that’s okay. We’ll manage.” Adore gave a dramatic, exaggerated yawn. “Man am I beat.”

“Yeah, we’ll be fine,” Danny added. Somewhere along the way, he seemed to have caught onto Adore’s unsubtle plan.

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Courtney said, hugging them.

Bianca stepped forward to hug both kids and kiss them goodnight as well.

“Goodnight, guys. Sleep well.”

Once they’d headed upstairs, she turned to Courtney, a rush of butterflies filling her belly as she took in her soft expression. A lock of blonde hair had fallen into her eyes, the same one that never cooperated, and Bianca reached forward to brush it away.

“So…”

END NOTE: Click here to see the absolutely gorgeous artwork that @artificialcandycane made featuring the outfits from this chapter, as well as the kiss at the end of Chapter 16.

#rpdr fanfiction #veronica #masters of the scene #s6 #adore delano #bianca del rio #courtney act #bitney #parent trap au #bitney parent trap #lesbian au #trans character #kid fic #angst #fluff

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artificialqueens · 2 years ago

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Masters of the Scene, Chapter 22 (Bitney Parent Trap AU) - Veronica

A/N: Thank you if you’re still reading. I love you. And I love @tumble4rpdr for being a fantastic beta.

Click here for prequels and previous chapters, or here if you’d rather read on AO3.

Chapter Summary: Bianca gets an answer to her question.

***

Bianca’s question hung in the air, glimmering with possibility, Courtney’s hands clutched in her own.

“I…I love you too,” Courtney said, her lashes wet with tears that had yet to fall. “And I do…want to be with you. But…”

Bianca felt herself deflating. Good news didn’t begin with ‘but.’

“I really appreciate you finding that therapist,” Courtney continued, squeezing Bianca’s hands, sniffling a little. “I think we should go, and talk, in a safe place, get all of our baggage out in the open. And then, we can make a rational decision about…whether we should try getting back together. Whether…whether to get the kids’ hopes up. You know?”

Bianca nodded, the disappointment like a splash of cold water in the face. She let go of Courtney’s hands and backed up a little. She’d been telling herself all along that whatever Courtney said, she would accept. But the reality of rejection was a hell of a lot worse than the hypothetical. Courtney reached forward to catch her sleeve, then seemed to think better of it, letting go and looking down.

“I just think that’s more responsible, than rushing into-”

“No, you’re right,” Bianca agreed quickly, letting her off the hook. There wasn’t any reason to prolong this. “It is more responsible. And it makes sense.”

Courtney swallowed, her eyes shining with tears, voice imploring, “I’m not saying no, you know. Just, not yet.”

“Okay...”

It was true. She hadn’t said no. So why did Bianca’s heart feel like it had been run through a meat grinder? Why did she want to curl up and cry like a pathetic loser?

Being vulnerable sucked.

She needed to get out of here, fast, before she fell apart completely. If they had any chance in hell, she wasn’t about to ruin it by making Courtney feel guilty for simply being honest with her.

“Um…okay, so, I guess I should probably take off. I’ll, um, I’ll go grab Adore’s bags from the car.” She rose to her feet, and Courtney followed.

“You don’t have to go, you can…you can stay here too. We have, um, plenty of space.”

“Yeah, I know,” Bianca said, giving her a wry grin. The space. “And I appreciate the offer. But I think we probably need clear boundaries. Otherwise it’ll be confusing. Especially for the kids. And…anyway, this gives you the night with them.”

“Okay.” Courtney nodded, teeth worrying her bottom lip. “If that’s what you want.”

It wasn’t what she wanted, of course, not even close. But it seemed like the most sensible choice, given the circumstances. When she got back from the car with Adore’s suitcases, Courtney was in the kitchen, taking care of the mess they’d left earlier.

She turned over her shoulder and yelled, “Guys, I mean it, come down now! Or I’m going to disconnect the-”

Just then, Danny came bounding out from the stairs cheerfully, Adore appearing a few seconds later.

“Sorry Mum! Adore wanted to try using the Splatana Wiper in a Turf War after I showed her how the Ultra Stamp works!” he exclaimed.

Bianca blinked, confused, but Courtney just smiled and nodded.

“That’s great, love. And did you tell her that we don’t play until after all homework is done?” Courtney asked.

“Uh…yeah,” Danny lied, nodding seriously. “All that.”

“Hmmph…” Courtney narrowed her eyes, reaching out to ruffle his hair. “Go say goodbye to your Mama, she’s going to her hotel.”

“Oh no, why?” Danny asked, turning to Bianca with big eyes. “Why don’t you stay here, Mama?!”

“Uhhh…” Bianca racked her brain for an answer that wouldn’t hurt his feelings, or put Courtney on the spot. “Yeah, I would, but I need to be closer to work. And plus, the hotel has a very nice spa, and you know I’m a sucker for a massage.”

“Alright,” he nodded, a note of sadness still in his voice.

“But hey, I’ll call you guys tomorrow! Maybe we can have brunch, or dinner,” she suggested.

“Okay. Sounds good.” Danny gave her a big hug, and she squeezed him back tightly, kissing the top of his head. “I’m so glad you’re here in town, Mama.”

“Me too, bunny. And I promise I’ll see you again soon, okay?”

“Okay.” Danny gave her one last squeeze and then let go.

Bianca turned to Adore, who had slunk in behind her brother and was currently leaning morosely against the kitchen island. The look on her face made Bianca feel so much worse than she did already, as if that was even possible.

She longed for the days when her daughter would gaze up at her as if she’d hung the moon and stars. As if she was a hero. Bianca had never felt worthy of that look, but as uncomfortable as it made her sometimes, it was a million times better than the way she appeared right now.

Not angry. Disappointed. Like she didn’t have any faith left in Bianca at all.

She made no move, so instead, Bianca walked to her, scooping her into a hug; Adore allowed it, at least, which felt like a gift.

“I’ll call you tomorrow-”

“What did you say to her?” Adore asked quietly, accusingly, before Bianca could finish.

“I did my best, pussycat,” Bianca whispered, voice breaking. She cleared her throat, releasing her from the hug, knowing she had to get out of there quickly. She added a louder, “See you soon, okay baby girl?”

“Yeah. Okay.”

Courtney dried her hands on a dish towel, trying to come to grips with the confusing storm of emotions swirling inside her. It had all happened so fast, like a blur. One second, Bianca was near tears over Adore, then they were essentially moving to LA, and then she was yelling. And somewhere in there…

So…that’s what I want. For us to actually try. To put in all the work, get through the hard part so that we can…be a family. So we can be…us, again. But better.

Courtney nearly broke down when she heard that. The words that she’d been longing to hear, for over eight years. Ever since that awful night, the one that made late May feel like the coldest winter of her life.

She knew, of course, that they still loved each other. Love like theirs didn’t just go away. But what she’d been telling herself since the Hamptons was that love wasn’t enough. They just didn’t work, and never would. There was simply too much pain there; they’d hurt each other too much. Were destined to hurt each other.

But even so, she’d longed to say yes. To throw caution to the wind. She almost had, too, but then her stomach seized with fear, over how awful it would be if they didn’t make it.

She looked at Bianca, who was standing by the island, watching the kids go back upstairs. There was a sadness in her dark eyes, an emptiness that Courtney longed to fill. Bianca’s gaze shifted, catching her eyes for a brief moment, letting Courtney see all the anguish she normally kept deeply hidden before looking away, clearing her throat.

“So, um…I should take off,” Bianca said, picking up her handbag from the kitchen table.

Courtney swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat, nodding. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay? You’d have the pool house all to yourself. You could come and go as you please, and-”

“It’s just…not a good idea,” Bianca said simply.

“Okay.” Courtney nodded, accepting her choice. Reminding herself that she was the one who’d said ‘not yet.’ And though she tried to make it clear that she wasn’t saying no, there was no doubt that Bianca was feeling it as a rejection. Something else for them to work out in therapy, she supposed. “Oh! What about, um, that therapist you mentioned?”

Bianca was already almost to the door, and Courtney hurried after her, certain that they had some unfinished business before she actually left.

“Yeah,” Bianca said. “I’ll send you all the info. It’s Tuesday at 11.”

“Okay, thanks,” Courtney said, walking beside her. “And I guess I’ll make sure that Adore has what she needs for school. Maybe we could take her together, on Monday morning.”

“Sure.”

“And um, you told the kids you might see them tomorrow. Should we make a plan, or-”

“Why don’t we touch base in the morning?” Bianca said. Her tone told Courtney that she was anxious to get going

“Of course, yeah,” Courtney said, unable to shake the feeling that she had more to say. “Oh! Their birthday! Next weekend. We should definitely talk about-”

“You know you have my number, right?” Bianca asked tensely, and Courtney bit her lip, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Yeah. I’m sorry. I just…”

Bianca inhaled deeply, closing her eyes briefly before speaking. “No, I’m sorry. It’s been a long day already, with the flight and everything. I’m tired, and I’m cranky and I’m…sorry.”

“Right.” Courtney knew it was true, and tried not to take it personally, how desperately Bianca clearly wanted to flee. “So…okay. Are you good to drive?”

“Yeah. I’ll be alright.”

“Okay.” Courtney swallowed again, nails digging into her palms. The lump in her throat didn’t budge.

“Okay,” Bianca repeated, giving a halfhearted smile. “See you.”

She turned and walked towards the car, trying to navigate over the grass in those Louboutin stilettos. It would be funny if Courtney wasn’t seconds from bursting into tears, her heart pounding, her stomach twisting.

Finally, she couldn’t hold it in anymore, calling out, “Wait!”

Bianca stopped, then turned back around slowly. She looked fucking exhausted.

“Don’t go,” Courtney said, knowing it wasn’t the time to mince words. For Bianca’s sake, as well as her own, knowing she had a finite amount of time before the tears would take over. She took a few steps forward through the grass, saying, “I don’t want you to go. Please don’t go…”

“I…” Bianca still looked skeptical, frozen in place, like she didn’t quite believe what Courtney was saying, or what it meant.

Fear had prevented her from speaking up before, but now, the thought of Bianca leaving felt so much worse, so she continued in a quivering voice.

“I know what I said earlier, but…but fuck that, I don’t want to wait. I want…everything you said. I want to skip ahead, can’t we…please just…”

Bianca finally took one tentative step toward her, head tilted and eyes soft. “What about being responsible?”

“I’m always responsible,” Courtney said, voice breaking as she added, “For once, I want to be happy instead.”

“Yeah?” Bianca asked, looking as overcome with emotion as Courtney felt.

“Please,” was all Courtney managed to whisper, one tear slipping down her cheek.

Bianca dropped her handbag in the grass and walked forward, closing the distance between them. As she wrapped Courtney into an embrace, it felt like every emotion she’d ever had, every hope, every dream, every heartbreak, all came rushing to the forefront.

She melted into Bianca’s arms, the dam that had been holding her feelings back for so long bursting open. A sob escaped, and then another, and soon she was clinging to Bianca for dear life.

Bianca held her tightly, cradled her, letting her fall apart. When she whispered, “I’ve got you,” Courtney finally let go all the way; her shaking legs ceased to support her as she gave in, allowing Bianca to hold her up.

She continued to cry like a baby with great, gasping sobs that wracked her body. The whole time, Bianca just held her, rocked her, murmuring, “I’ve got you…I’ve got you…”

Courtney wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, only that when she finally lifted her head to look into Bianca’s eyes, there was nothing but love written on her face.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and Bianca shook her head, lifting a hand to her cheek, gently brushing away her tears with her thumb. “I’m sorry that I-” Her voice broke.

“It’s okay. I’m sorry too,” Bianca whispered back.

Courtney nodded, trying to catch her breath as more tears slid down her cheeks.

“So…” Bianca began, a soft and loving smile pulling on her lips, “…you happy yet?”

Courtney laughed through her tears, fingers digging into Bianca’s shoulders as she held her tighter, gazing up at her through blurry vision. “Just shut up and kiss me already,” she requested.

A grin immediately lit up Bianca’s face, deepening her dimples as she answered, “Gladly!”

She took Courtney’s face in both of her hands, cupping her cheeks, and leaned in slowly.

“And after a few rounds there’s a big boss called King Cohozuna, and he drops scales you can spend on stuff. I just need one more Silver Scale and I can get a new Slopsuit!”

“Uh huh…” Adore gazed out the loft window, only half listening to Danny explain the basics of Salmon Run. If she craned her neck, she could see Bianca and Courtney talking on the grass.

“We need to get you a Switch too,” Danny said. “Oh! You should ask for one for your birthday.”

“Mmm...” Adore watched as they paused, Courtney stopping on the grass while Bianca continued on towards the car. She sighed unhappily, turning to Danny. “Kind of a nerd present.”

“Well what did you want?” Danny asked, laughing.

“I thought the room was my present,” Adore said.

“Furniture? That’s not a present.”

For someone so smart, Danny could be a real dummy sometimes. That room was the biggest, and probably most expensive, thing that anyone had ever given her.

“I’m pretty sure it is,” Adore insisted.

“I think Mum will still want to get you something to open,” Danny said.

“Maybe…” Adore looked out the window again. They were still on the grass, still talking, but now standing far apart.

“I mean, what else would you want? Besides a Switch?”

“Well…I dunno. A cat?” Adore said with a shrug.

“Isn’t Mama allergic to cats?”

“Yeah, but Mama doesn’t live here. Plus, I just moved to a new school and stuff. No friends. Seems like a good time to ask.”

“You’re a monster,” Danny chuckled, his voice full of affection.

“Yup. If you’re nice, I’ll teach you all my tricks,” Adore told him, then her eyes lit up. “Roach! Come look, they’re hugging!”

“Like, a goodbye hug?” Danny asked, but he did manage to tear himself away from Splatoon for long enough to walk over to stand beside Adore.

“I’m not sure. Maybe…” Adore kept watching. He was probably right, they were probably just saying goodbye. But…if so, it was an awfully long goodbye hug.

“Is Mum crying?”

“I don’t know, is she?!” Adore peered closer, brow furrowed. Anger rose up in her chest, a sour taste filling her mouth, making her turn away from the window. Not long ago, she’d been the one causing Mum’s agitation. But now, seeing it made her feel horrible.

“Adore!” Danny suddenly cried, grabbing her hand.

She looked back outside, eyes widening in amazement.

Because on the grass, where they’d been standing awkwardly just a minute earlier, her mothers were kissing.

Not a goodbye kiss, either. An honest-to-god kiss kiss, like the kind in the movies.

“Holy fuck!” Adore squealed happily, watching with pure joy, hands pressed to the glass. This was beyond anything she’d dared to wish for, even in her most secret dreams. After a few more seconds, though, she wrinkled her nose. “Alright, get a room.”

Danny laughed delightedly, as giddily happy as she was herself. She turned to him, taking in his crooked, ear-splitting grin that mirrored her own, and squeezed his hand.

“Let’s go down!” she exclaimed, tugging him away from the window.

“Okay!”

The two of them turned and thundered down both flights of stairs, then ran through the kitchen, throwing open the sliding door and racing barefoot over the patio.

Courtney and Bianca were still kissing, deep in their own world, as Adore and Danny ran across the grass, their happy shrieks the thing to finally break their mothers out of their romantic reverie, just in time for both kids to tackle them to the grass.

“Adore!” Bianca exclaimed, “This is fucking Prada!”

“Oops,” Adore giggled, and Courtney laughed along with her, reaching over to cup her chin.

Bianca shook her head, but there wasn’t an ounce of anger in her as she wrapped an arm around Danny.

“So…I guess this saves us a conversation, huh?” Bianca asked.

“Yeah, I think we’re up to speed,” Danny laughed.

“I hope it means you’re not gonna go to some dumb hotel,” Adore added.

“Well…” Bianca and Courtney exchanged a look. “Yeah, it seems that the dumb hotel is off the table. At least while your Mum wants me here.”

“We’ll see how long you can behave,” Courtney laughed, her eyes sparkling with joy.

“Don’t worry, Mum, we’ll keep her in line,” Adore said, leaning on Courtney’s shoulder with a happy sigh.

#rpdr fanfiction #veronica #masters of the scene #s6 #bianca del rio #courtney act #adore delano #bitney #parent trap au #bitney parent trap #lesbian au #trans character #kid fic #angst #fluff #hurt/comfort #parenting au

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artificialqueens · 2 years ago

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Masters of the Scene, Chapter 21 (Bitney Parent Trap AU) - Veronica

A/N: Okay, I apologize because this group of chapters moves kind of slow; this one in particular is literally one long conversation that doesn’t even end until the next chapter. So…lol, I would understand if anyone following this story wants to wait until 22 is posted to read it. Anyway I love you, thank you for reading either way. Also, thanks so much to my absolutely fabulous beta, @tumble4rpdr

Click here for prequels and previous chapters, or here if you’d rather read on AO3.

Chapter Summary: Bianca and Courtney continue their difficult (but necessary) conversation.

***

The point of starting the whole thing with small talk, as Bianca had discussed with Shangela over and over, was to disarm her. Test the waters a bit. She knew going in that Courtney would be understandably angry and defensive. That she would be guarded, have all kinds of walls up. So rather than launch right into Serious Mode, Shangela reminded her one of the better sides of their relationship was their ability to banter back and forth, to make each other laugh, even when things were shitty.

“It’s true,” Bianca had agreed, hugging a pillow tightly while she spoke to Shangie late one night. “Maybe…maybe I can try to make her laugh a little.”

“Right! And if you do that, then you open the door. You have some chance of actually communicating,” Shangie said.

“Yeah, otherwise…things are probably still too raw.”

As it turned out, the strategy had worked. The problem was that it worked too well. And not only had she managed to disarm and charm Courtney, but she’d allowed Courtney to charm her right back. Finding out that she and Danny regularly watched her shows was incredible, and hearing her absolutely gush over the dresses was even better.

But the best part was just her. How, once she relaxed a little, she laughed charmingly at Bianca’s jokes, just like the plan. How she sassed back at her, easily falling into their typically comfortable banter. It was enough to fill Bianca with hope—not an easy feat.

So when she turned things around, asked her point blank about the ‘real reason’ she wanted to talk…

Oof.

Bianca tried to gather herself together. She should be ready for this. She’d been rehearsing to herself during every sleepless night for the past week.

“Okay. I guess…I should start with an apology…” She took a deep breath, eyes meeting Courtney’s, then quickly looking away, unable to face her until she’d gotten it all out.

The curiosity and expectation in her green eyes was too much pressure. She knew Courtney must be surprised—apologies had never been Bianca’s strength. She swallowed hard and continued, clutching pieces of a napkin she’d ripped apart.

“I know that the reason things went sideways last time is because you think that I was saying that you make Danny anxious, but I never…I would never have said that. Not even to be an asshole, or to win an argument.”

Bianca shifted uncomfortably, the fabric of the blazer too heavy, too hot in this sunny weather.

“I think-” Courtney began, but Bianca cut in, needing to get it all out.

“I know we have our shit. But I think you’re a great mother. The…the best, actually. I think Danny is the luckiest kid in the world. And I just…I’m just sorry that I ever made you think that I thought otherwise, even for a second.”

When she finally looked back into Courtney’s face, she was nodding slightly, her eyes a little misty.

“You may have…hit a nerve,” she admitted softly, chewing on her bottom lip. “I mean, you said that he’s not anxious with you. So I figured you meant that my neurotic energy or whatever was-”

“Court…I get why you thought I meant that. I do.” Bianca reached across the table, unable to stop herself.

Courtney hesitated before letting Bianca take her hand, but when she did, she gripped it firmly.

“But please hear me,” Bianca continued, not looking away this time. “That’s not what I meant.”

“What did you mean, then?” she asked, head tilted curiously.

“I meant…” Bianca took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I meant that he just doesn’t seem that anxious to me, period. He seems like a normal, happy little boy. I mean, he’s loving and kind and easygoing and funny and…in my own fucked-up way, I was trying to compliment you. You’re raising a great, great kid.”

The truth was that even before Danny’s problems began, it had been one of Courtney’s deepest fears. That her anxieties, her insecurities, her fears, even the ones she never spoke about, would somehow rub off on him. And when he was suffering the most, of course it was something she worried about obsessively. Had she made him this way? Had she been too wrapped up in her own problems to protect her baby?

The knee-jerk reaction to what Bianca said had been because she believed it. Or at least, part of her did. Deep down. That she was the reason for his pain.

But now…hearing Bianca describe her parenting in such glowing terms was almost unbelievable. An approval that she’d been craving for years, coming right out of the blue when she least expected it. She closed her eyes, feeling like an absolute fucking idiot for losing her mind so completely over what was essentially a misunderstanding.

Although…

“Wait, so…you were saying that you don’t think he’s anxious at all?” Courtney asked, her brow furrowed, removing her hand from Bianca’s. “You think all the therapy and the home-schooling and the meds and all of that was just…what, for fun?” she asked pointedly, “Or that I was making it up?”

“No, no, of course not. I guess…I thought that he did have a problem, but that you’d handled it, and handled it well, and now…he was fine. But that maybe that was hard for you to recognize because you were still in like, Mama-Bear mode, worrying about him. And maybe you were, um…not making it up, but like…putting your own anxieties, uh…”

“Projecting?” Courtney offered, one eyebrow raised, disbelief still clear as day on her face.

“Yeah, that,” Bianca said, cringing a bit when she saw Courtney’s expression. “It was a dumb thing to say, I’ll admit that, but…not as bad as what you thought I said…right?”

Courtney sighed, putting her head in her hands. She supposed that it wasn’t as bad, but it was still frustrating. Did Bianca really think that Courtney couldn’t tell the difference between her own anxiety and when her son was in genuine emotional and physical pain?

“He’s just…” Bianca continued, “He’s not what I think of when I imagine an anxiety-riddled person-”

“Because he’s not in distress!” Courtney cut in sharply, and off Bianca’s nod, added a softer, “At least…not right now. Not…anymore.” Her shoulders slumped. She could feel herself getting defensive, feel that tension returning to her body. Bianca was trying to compliment her, as she said. That she’d done a good job taking care of their son; she tried to take that in, rather than her frustration. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, I get it. I told Shangela what I’d said. And like, how you misunderstood, and what I really meant. She didn’t quite agree with my psychological assessment,” Bianca said drily. “In fact, she had some pretty choice words for me.”

“Oh yeah?” Courtney asked, one eyebrow arching slightly.

“I believe the phrase ‘ham-fisted moron’ was thrown out,” Bianca said, smiling sheepishly.

Courtney chuckled in spite of herself, saying, “I’ve always liked Shangie.”

“She likes you, too. And she made me realize that I didn’t really understand…anything. About what had been going on with him. I know you gave me Dr. Caldwell’s info, but I always felt like calling would be like…I dunno, overstepping.”

“Why? I talk to Adore’s therapists, and doctors, and-” Courtney shook her head.

“Yeah, I know, and sometimes it feels like you’re…second guessing how I’m handling things,” Bianca said pointedly.

Courtney bit her lip, feeling a little guilty. She did second-guess how Bianca handled things with Adore sometimes, and maybe that was part of the reason she hadn’t told Bianca everything there was to tell with Danny. Unlike her, Bianca didn’t push and prod and ask a million questions and get in direct contact with the doctors herself. She’d probably have felt some type of way if she had. So maybe Bianca had a point.

“Look…maybe I should have kept you more in the loop, when things were really bad,” Courtney admitted. She took another breath, wanting Bianca to understand that though she might be a little bit right, it wasn’t 100% selfish or defensive motives that kept Courtney from sharing every detail of Danny’s struggles. “But honestly, I’m really glad that you didn’t have to experience the nightmares, or stomach issues, or the meltdowns at school dropoff. Or the calls from his teacher about how he spent every recess by himself, sitting alone on the bench. Or the time when he locked himself in the bathroom stall for 3 hours. Or when he finally told me about how the relentless bullying had been going on for years, and the school just denied it all, trying to fight them and get him the services he needed and finally pulling him out because I just, I didn’t know what else to do…”

“I’m sorry you had to go through all that on your own,” Bianca said softly, shaking her head.

“I probably should have shared more with you, but…” Courtney could feel a lump rising to her throat, tears stinging her eyes.

“No, I get why you didn’t.”

“I didn’t want to burden you. Especially when I didn’t have any answers,” Courtney said. She looked down, hating the memory of her sweet little boy suffering so much, and how powerless she’d felt.

“Maybe you also didn’t want me to judge you.”

“Or that.” Courtney dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. “Um…what did Dr. Caldwell say? When you spoke to them?”

“Just that…he’s a fantastic kid, and he’s been doing so much better since he started at Crossroads, like you said, and…and that you’d done everything you could to protect him, even when that fucking school was trying to gaslight you both. And that you probably have grounds for a major lawsuit.”

Courtney chuckled, shaking her head. “I’d rather put the resources we have into helping other kids, not taking money from LAUSD.”

“Saint Courtney strikes again,” Bianca teased.

“Hardly. I’m just…glad he’s in a better place now. I’m glad I could afford to get him what he needed. It’s hard enough even when we’ve got resources, you know?”

“I fucking do,” Bianca said, nodding. “I’m sure you’ve heard all about Adore’s current…situation.”

“I know she’s struggling with school, and I’ve been doing what I can to help, but-”

“Oh, it’s way more than that,” Bianca said bitterly. “She hasn’t told about how much we’re fighting?”

“The two of you?” Courtney asked, and off Bianca’s expectant nod, shook her head. “No. I don’t think they like to tell on us that way. What’s going on?”

Bianca let out a tense exhale. She seemed to be considering what she wanted to say, or maybe how to say it.

“Our apartment’s turned into a fucking war zone,” she finally admitted, sounding and looking more defeated than Courtney could ever remember. “She’s so angry, all the time-”

“At you?” Courtney asked.

She was having a hard time picturing it. Not because she’d never seen Adore angry—on the contrary, Adore had always been a kid very much in touch with her inner rage. But Adore idolized Bianca. She always had. And regardless, what Courtney had seen lately from her daughter wasn’t anger, it was hopelessness. And self loathing. Thinking she wasn’t good enough, wasn’t smart enough, would never live up to anyone’s expectations.

More often than not, their homework FaceTime sessions involved Adore’s head on the table, tears dripping down her face as Courtney told her to put the schoolwork away and did her best to remind her that she was loved and supported and that things would get easier eventually. That an ability to solve algebraic equations, read Mandarin and understand The Iliaddidn’t determine anyone’s worth.

Frankly, knowing that Adore’s fiery temper was still present made Courtney feel a little bit better. Knowing that she still had fight in her, that she wasn’t completely engulfed in hopeless despair.

It didn’t seem to be any comfort to Bianca though, who answered, “At me, at her teachers, at the world. Once she decided that she couldn’t do this schoolwork, she stopped trying at all, which of course led to disciplinary problems, and of course that meant that all her snotty little friends’ parents deemed her a troublemaker and-”

Bianca looked down again, her breath hitching. The napkin in her hand was shredded to bits.

“And I know I’m doing everything wrong,” she finished, voice breaking.

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Courtney said gently. She may have occasionally questioned Bianca’s decisions, but there was never any doubt how much she loved their children.

“No, it is. I can’t help it. We’re too much alike, I think,” Bianca let out a disappointed laugh. “I can never stay calm, not like you. I scream back at her, like a complete asshole. Like my…fucking father.”

“You don’t think I ever lose my patience?” Courtney asked.

“Not like this, not…I can’t get through to her. So I lose it, and it’s not…I know it’s not okay, but I don’t know how to…”

Courtney could see it in her eyes: the self-loathing, the anger, the frustration. Bianca had always been hard on people, but she was hardest on herself. Just like their daughter. She reached across the table to put a hand on hers, before she had time to begin tearing apart the new napkin she’d picked up. It was meant to be soothing, but it only seemed to make Bianca more emotional. She shook her head and looked up at Courtney.

“I don’t know why I feel like this. I mean, I’m supposed to be the parent, I’m supposed to be the mature one. But when it feels like she’s mad at me, I just want to fucking cry…” Bianca let out a humorless laugh, “What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing’s wrong with you,” Courtney said. “She’s cool, and you want her to like you.”

“Ugh, god, that’s so pathetic,” Bianca groaned. “What am I back in high school wishing the popular girls didn’t hate me?”

“Awwww…” Courtney squeezed her hand one more time before letting go.

“Don’t ‘aw’ me, you were a loser in high school, too,” Bianca said, rolling her eyes and sniffling.

“Was not! I was very popular in high school!” Courtney insisted, laughing.

“Really?” Bianca lifted one eyebrow, a corner of her mouth twitching up as the mischievous twinkle appeared in her eyes. “Cause the pictures of you in headgear beg to differ.”

“Um, excuse me, I got that off when I was 16, and became friends with all the cheerleaders,” said Courtney, crossing her arms, glad that Bianca seemed shaken out of her gloom and all too happy to play along with this bit. “And all the jocks were super jealous.”

“Oh yeah?” Bianca asked, tilting her head.

“Yeah!”

The smirk pulling at her lips made one dimple appear in Bianca’s cheek, giving Courtney a sense of victory. “Of you, or them?”

“Listen…when they weren’t calling me faggot, they were pretty well convinced that I was fucking all their girlfriends,” she said triumphantly.

“And were you? Fucking all their girlfriends?” Bianca asked, now fully amused, dimples deepening in both cheeks.

“Well…” Courtney faltered a bit, slightly chagrined, before explaining, “Not…all of them, I’m not an animal.”

“Good for you.”

Their eyes met, both of them laughing now. It eased the tension enough that Courtney felt brave enough to broach the subject that had been nagging her for the past five minutes.

“So, um…I know it’s been pretty stressful, but I hope you’re taking care of yourself,” she said. “Because…I know how hard it was for you to quit smoking before…”

Bianca’s eyes widened in alarm, and she began to ask, “What are you-” before stopping abruptly, shoulders sagging. “How the fuck did you know?”

Courtney pointed out the pile on the table, of shredded remnants formerly known as Napkin.

“Fuck,” Bianca muttered. She dropped the second napkin, sighing. “It’s less than half a pack a day. Don’t look at me like that-”

“I’m not-” Courtney began.

“-It’s my only vice.”

At that, Courtney couldn’t help raising her eyebrows. “Your only vice?”

“Okay, besides alcohol,” Bianca conceded. “But I don’t binge drink anymore. Usually. And I haven’t done drugs in like, years.”

“How many years, exactly?” Courtney asked, curious.

“Oh, shut up, like you’re so squeaky-clean, Ms. Burning Man?!” Bianca scoffed.

“I never claimed to be!” Courtney laughed, holding her hands up innocently. “But B, cigarettes?”

“Please don’t start…”

“I’m just saying. There are better things. You know weed is legal here,” Courtney said.

“Oh yeah? Got any on hand?” she asked, giving another big eye roll.

“Sure.”

“Seriously?” Bianca actually looked shocked.

“Yeah,” Courtney nodded. “Not for smoking though, just edibles. Do you want some?”

“Uh…kind of,” Bianca admitted. “Well, I don’t know. Do I?”

“You’re not planning to drive, are you?”

“Why?”

“Just that you probably want to be alert for these curves. Otherwise I’d have made the coffee Irish.”

“Oh. I wish you had,” Bianca groaned, rubbing her forehead.

“Sorry.” Courtney bit her lip. She probably should never have brought up the smoking issue. “I’m sorry if I made you feel like I was judging. I just-”

“I know how you feel about cigarettes,” Bianca said. “It’s why I quit the first time.”

“I know.” Courtney gave her a soft smile.

When they met, Bianca had considered herself a ‘casual’ smoker, but even her one-pack-a-week habit was too much for Courtney. She hated the smell; it had always been a migraine trigger. So Bianca quit, slapping on a patch and spilling the rest of the pack she’d started into the toilet, flushing them down. “I’m pretty sure that’s for narcotics,” Courtney had informed her, but Bianca had insisted that it was “symbolic.” She wrapped her arms around Courtney’s waist, giving her a soft, nicotine-free kiss. “If I’ve got you, I don’t need cigarettes.” Turned out, she was perhaps a little too hung-ho, since kicking the habit altogether was easier said than done. In fact, she probably would have taken it up again had she not gotten pregnant with the twins.

Courtney swallowed, conflicted about how the memory made her feel. Bianca’s voice was what snapped her out of it.

“Look, if it makes you feel better, I’ve never smoked around Adore. Not once.”

“Okay,” Courtney said. “Thanks. I’m sorry if I was too…personal.”

“It’s fine. I should…” She sighed. “I should stop anyway, I just…it’s been fucking rough. You know?”

“Yeah.”

“Which is why, uh…” Bianca swallowed, shaking her head. “You know how much I hate to admit when I’m wrong, but…”

“Wrong about…?”

“The kids, school, how…how hard this year would be for Adore. So…” She closed her eyes, letting out a soft, “sorry…”

“Take your time…” Courtney assured her.

Bianca sighed and opened her eyes again. “I think maybe you were right about the kids going to school together. I think…I think it would help Adore to have Danny around. And to be in a school that’s less…traditional, I guess. Competitive. Or…”

“Okay, that’s…so, are you looking for other schools?” Courtney asked, not quite following where Bianca was struggling to say but attempting to be helpful. “Do you need advice, because I know a website I could send you that evaluates-”

“I registered her at Crossroads,” Bianca cut in.

“You…” Courtney blinked. Crossroads was Danny’s school. It was a 20 minute drive from them, but a very long way from New York City.

“I’m here for awhile, while I get the new stores up and running. The investors are in Century City, and they want me to have an office there. So I asked the school if she could enroll, as like a trial thing, to see if she does any better, and they said okay. She still has to officially go through the whole application process, but unofficially, they said it’s pretty-”

“You’re planning to move to LA?” Courtney asked, still trying to wrap her mind around what Bianca was saying.

“Maybe. I mean, yes, part time. I don’t…I don’t know. It depends how things go, I guess. I just, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said, about what went down when I was moving to New York, and…I think you were right about how fucked up that letter was. And if I’d played fair, we probably wouldn’t ever have left. So…”

“So…she’s going to school here? And she’s okay leaving her friends, and-” Courtney suppressed a smile, trying not to show how utterly thrilled she was. It would be too much like gloating.

“Yeah, she’s very excited to learn how to braid hemp,” Bianca deadpanned.

“Funny,” said Courtney, attempting sarcasm but failing, the grin spreading across her face. “I think she’ll really like Crossroads, actually. I think this will be…really good for her.”

“Don’t look so fucking proud of yourself,” Bianca said, rolling her eyes. “You were wrong about some things, too!”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, like you said I can never compromise, but here I am. Fucking compromising. Are you gonna give me any goddamn credit for that?” she barked.

“I…” Courtney raised her eyebrows, unsure of how to respond.

“And you’re supposed to be the optimist here, but you didn’t give us any credit!” Bianca burst out, getting more animated as she spoke. “You acted like we can’t change, we can’t learn, but both of us already have, so much. So why can’t we teach them what love should look like?! Huh?”

“I…” Courtney looked into Bianca’s brown eyes, which were flashing with anger. But something else too, something like hope. Courtney wasn’t sure what to think, what to make of this, which felt like it had come out of nowhere. “I don’t-”

“Fuck!” Bianca exclaimed suddenly, making Courtney jump, startled. Bianca covered her face with her hands, shaking her head. “This is all wrong, I did this all fucking wrong. This isn’t how I wanted to…”

It had been so simple, in her head. How she wanted to tell Courtney everything she felt. Profess her love, her desires, and then leave it in her hands. No expectations. Calm, gentle, loving... Instead, what was supposed to be a declaration of love had turned into a shit show. She was fucking yelling at her. No wonder her face was a mix of confusion, fear and horror.

“Look, I just think that…” Bianca took a deep breath, trying to explain calmly, ignoring the tears filling her eyes. “I just think that the most important thing, about love, is that you don’t walk away. You…don’t give up, even when it’s hard. And yeah, we’ve got problems. I know that. No one’s ever accused me of being Pollyanna. But…look, we can learn how to fight properly. They teach that shit. We just need a good therapist.”

“Therapist?” Courtney asked, face still a strange combination of hard-to-read emotions. “I thought you were against couples therapy.”

“No, I was against spending money, when we were poor.” Bianca quickly wiped the tears off her cheeks.

“Oh.”

“But you know what, let’s add marriage counseling to the list of things you were right about.”

“B…” Courtney began, and Bianca shook her head vigorously.

“Don’t…don’t answer yet. I just wanted to say that I think we can do it. We’re older, less stupid…most of the time. We’ve got more resources. So…why not focus on what we do well? Like…raising really fucking great kids.”

“We do,” Courtney said, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Right! And…we’re really, really good at loving each other. We are.” Bianca had a flash in her mind, of Courtney’s letters, the passionate, messily-scrawled love notes, her heart on the page, how everything she wrote was still inside of her somewhere. It had to be. “You even said that when it’s good, it’s…it’s amazing. So let’s do that part, the amazing part, and fucking fix the rest.”

“I…” Courtney faltered. “I just…I don’t think-”

“And before you decide,” Bianca barreled on, determined to get it all out before Courtney had a chance to push her away, “You should know that I already found a therapist, who specializes in like, complicated queer family situations. Dr. Caldwell recommended her. She’s based in the Palisades, and she’s trans. I have an appointment for Tuesday at 11. I really hope…that you’ll come. Whatever happens with us, we owe it to each other to work this shit out. As much as we can. Even if it’s just for the sake of the kids.”

“Yeah, that’s…that’s a good point,” Courtney said, her voice thick with emotion.

Bianca could see that she was melting, that she was truly listening.

“Look, you don’t have to give me an answer now,” Bianca said, taking her hand. “I’ll be here for awhile, so…just…think about it. And then tell me what you want.”

“What do you want?” Courtney asked softly, eyes shimmering with tears.

This was it. Her actual chance, to say what she wanted to say.

“I want to be with you,” Bianca told her, voice breaking, but continuing anyway. “I fucking…I fucking love you, so much. I’ve never stopped loving you. Another thing you were wrong about, by the way, is when you said that I probably don’t follow your career. I’ve watched every video you’ve ever made.”

Courtney laughed incredulously, gazing at Bianca in disbelief. “Really?”

“Really. And if you need to be here, to be comfortable, or happy, or secure, whatever your reason is…then I want to be here, too. Wherever you are. You kind of undersold this house, by the way. It’s…pretty spectacular.”

“Well…selling out can be lucrative,” Courtney managed to joke through her tears.

“I see that.” Bianca moved closer, taking slow, shallow breaths, their eyes now locked together. She reached out for Courtney’s other hand. “So…that’s what I want. For us to actually try. To be a family. To be…us, again. But better.”

“I…” Courtney breathed, and Bianca waited, her heart in her throat, to hear what she would say.

#rpdr fanfiction #veronica #masters of the scene #s6 #bianca del rio #courtney act #bitney #parent trap au #bitney parent trap #lesbian au #trans character #angst #fluff

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artificialqueens · 2 years ago

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Masters of the Scene, Chapter 20 (Bitney Parent Trap AU) - Veronica

A/N: Thank you so much to @tumble4rpdr for her absolutely amazing feedback as beta, and to anyone to who left comments and kudos and likes: you guys are awesome, and truly know how to keep me inspired.

Click here for prequels and previous chapters, or here if you’d rather read on AO3.

Chapter Summary: Bianca gets familiar with the farm, and they all have an extremely awkward family lunch.

***

Bianca hated to admit it, but as soon as Courtney was gone, she felt the burden of pressing, immediate guilt being lifted a little from her chest, and she could follow the kids around while acting (and breathing) normally.

Danny’s room was in no way a ‘baby room’ - it was full of fun, bright colors, joyously reflective of his personality. The overflowing bookcases covering one whole wall showed what an avid reader he was; the dinosaur collection arranged in adorable groups looked, intentionally or not, like multi-species family photos. There was a row of glittering prisms in the windows that cast ever-moving rainbows onto the whole room.

The kids then showed her the “secret” staircase in the corridor between their bathrooms, which led to a shared loft space. It was basically the world’s coolest indoor treehouse, tricked out like every tween’s fantasy rec room: a giant TV, video games, mini-fridge and popcorn machine, a plush rug, bean bag chairs, mounds of pillows and blankets and cute inflatable furniture. Future den of sin, Bianca noted, while also admiring what a cozy space Courtney had designed for them.

“Mum doesn’t like us to have too much screen time in our bedrooms,” Danny explained.

“Good luck controlling that,” Bianca chuckled.

“We’ve told her,” Adore said.

“But also…” Danny gestured around. “Who’s gonna say no to this?”

Bianca laughed, nodding. Who indeed.

They continued on. The house was huge, even more spacious than Bianca would have guessed from that amazing kitchen, but it was laid out so thoughtfully, full of personal touches like reclaimed wood, framed photos of the kids at every age, art from all over the world, bursts of color and warmth everywhere. It was a sharp contrast to the cold, sterile interiors Bianca was used to from people with money for this type of space.

There was a grand entry hall that led into a chic but inviting living room, perfect for entertaining, along with a 16-seat movie theatre. A gently curved staircase led up to several spare bedrooms, in a separate wing from the kids, and another set of stairs led back down into a warm and cozy family room. Next to the library. A library, for christ’s sake.

By the time they got to the dining room, which easily sat twenty, Bianca had lost count of the number of fireplaces she’d seen. They walked through another living room, this one sunken and half outside. It opened up to a patio with a view of the pristine swimming pool with its cascading waterfalls.

“The other guest rooms are above the pool house,” Danny said, as they walked past yet another fireplace, “And that’s the outdoor kitchen.”

He gestured to the other side of the patio, where Courtney was standing in front of a large grill.

“Hi Mum!” Adore chirped, skipping forward to give Courtney a kiss.

“Hi darling! Are you all finished?”

“Yeah, we did most of the house, except your room, but that’s boring.”

“Excuse me, my room is lovely.”

“Blech, it’s all neutrals.”

Courtney didn’t engage with that insult, just laughed and said, “Well, this’ll be ready in about 10 minutes, if you wanna go up and see the garden.”

“Are you sure you don’t want some help?” Bianca asked.

“No, it’s all under control. Mostly leftovers,” Courtney said, waving dismissively at the colorful spread taking shape on the table, which most definitely did not look like ‘leftovers.’ But she clearly wanted them to back off, so that’s what Bianca did, following the kids around the pool, up a curved stone pathway.

She’d been seeing the gardens in Courtney’s videos for years. It started with a few planter boxes, a handful of fruit trees that were already on the property, and the citrus trees that Courtney planted when they’d first moved in. It was a bit sad and sparse in the beginning, but she’d kept at it, adding new boxes every year, building out the space, planting more and more. Eventually hiring a few people to help when it became too much for one person.

It looked like the Garden of Eden now. Lush, colorful, bursting with life. They wandered around a bit, meandering around the walkways, checking out the fruit and vegetables in various stages of development. It was so much more impressive than Bianca ever thought possible based on videos and pictures. So much more alive, with bees buzzing and butterflies fluttering about. Birds of every kind were chirping and singing, while a squirrel scampered over the path, darting into the nearby trees.

It wasn’t lost on Bianca that she’d asked, practically demanded, for Courtney to leave this place behind. This place that she’d been pouring her heart and soul into for so long, dismissed as her plants.

How could she have done that? How would she be able to express remorse for that? To show that she really meant it when she said she was sorry? Would Courtney have any reason to believe her?

Bianca closed her eyes and breathed in. She could feel her heart beating quickly, the shame and regret almost suffocating, out here in the sunshine. For most people, the fresh scents of life and fruit and flowering plants and vibrant sounds of birds would be soothing and wonderful. For Bianca, they suddenly represented her own personal hell.

“Are you okay, Mama?” Danny asked.

“Yeah!” Bianca’s eyes flew open. “Just not used to, uh, being up this high.”

“Oh. Yeah, but don’t worry. We’re really far from the cliff.”

“There’s a cliff?” Adore asked, eyes wide.

“It’s like a mile away,” Danny said. “You’re fine.”

Bianca put her arms around both kids and gestured to a large building on the other side of the gardens, down a gentle slope covered in tall grass and wildflowers. “Is that the famous Barn?”

“Yeah.”

“Very nice.” The ‘Barn’ was the space where Courtney had her studio. She knew from watching her YouTube channels that it was where she shot and edited her videos, and also where she had a suite of offices for her nonprofit work. It was bigger than Bianca expected—although at this point, she wasn’t sure why that was a surprise anymore.

“So, do you want to go see the-” Danny stopped talking as Adore’s stomach let out a loud rumble. “Uh, excuse you, ma’am.”

“Sorry, I’m hungry,” Adore whined.

“Let’s go check on lunch,” Bianca suggested.

***

Lunch, as it turned out, was nearly ready. Courtney asked Danny to retrieve some homemade lemonade from inside, and for Adore to get out the plates and silverware.

“Can I do anything?” Bianca asked.

“Uh, sure. Why don’t you help Danny? It’s a lot to carry.”

“Sure,” Bianca said, rolling her eyes slightly.

“What?” Courtney’s voice had a bit of an edge to it, the ‘t’ sharper than normal.

“It…just feels a little like when you ask a three-year-old to help mix the cake batter,” Bianca explained, chuckling. “But yeah, I’ll help Danny.”

“You really think I would patronize you like that?” Courtney asked, jaw clenched slightly.

“Well, no…” Small talk, small talk, Bianca’s inner voice warned. “No, that’s not what I…”

Courtney turned back wordlessly to the grill, and Bianca felt her stomach drop. She swallowed quietly and stepped inside, racking her brain for ways to change this tense dynamic. When she and Danny returned, Adore was cheerfully setting the table.

“You know how to set a table?” Bianca asked, surprised. She’d never seen her do anything remotely like that. She set down the pitcher of raspberry lemonade.

“Yeah, I’m not a moron,” Adore replied flatly.

“I don’t think you’re a moron!” Bianca said, “I just think you-”

“Don’t know where forks go?” Adore crossed her arms.

“No!” Bianca sighed slightly, not wanting to get into it with her. “You know what? Forget what I said. You did a great job. And the food looks delicious.”

The table was laden with an assortment of colorful Middle Eastern salads and dips and a big basket of warm flatbread in the middle. If this was leftovers, then Bianca was the next Queen of England.

“Thanks.” Courtney put down a platter of grilled vegetables that Bianca had to assume were from the garden - eggplant, artichokes, zucchini and yellow squash. It looked incredible.

As they all sat down to eat, she noticed that Courtney seemed to be avoiding direct eye contact with her, primarily talking to the kids. Bianca supposed she couldn’t blame her, but it still stung. She looked down at her plate, picking at her food, her appetite not what it was a few minutes prior.

Every so often, though, she would sneak a glance in Courteny’s direction—it was hard not to look at her, after all.

Upon studying her face a little more, Bianca realized that Courtney may not have rushed getting ready as much as she thought, initially. She was definitely wearing mascara. And lip gloss. Maybe even a little eyeliner and blush. That kind of ‘no makeup’ makeup illusion that Courtney had perfected years ago. Seeing it made Bianca feel a little better for some reason—it had to mean something, that she was putting in effort.

Maybe it was nothing, but Bianca hung onto it, allowing it to ease her fears a bit. A small ray of hope. At least enough that she could eat a few bites of food.

“So, were you two good tour guides?” Courtney asked, brushing some hair out of Adore’s eyes.

“I dunno, were we?” Adore asked, turning to Bianca.

“Fantastic.” Bianca managed to look up at her with a smile. “Although there was one question you guys couldn’t answer.”

“What question?” Danny asked.

“In what universe is this a farmhouse?” Bianca asked, raising an eyebrow and spreading her hands. “This, is a palace. An estate. Or if you’re from where I am…a plantation, maybe.”

“Oh. Well…Mum calls it a farmhouse,” Adore said, shrugging. She bit into her wrap, unbothered by this simplistic explanation.

“It used to be smaller,” Danny said.

“Well, the Grand Canyon used to be a little creek. And your Mum used to—”

“Okay,” Courtney interrupted, clearly not curious about the end of Bianca’s sentence. “‘Farmhouse’ refers to the building style, by the way. Not the size.”

“Hmph. What size would that be, actually?” Bianca asked, raising her eyebrow curiously.

“What do you mean?” Courtney spooned some couscous onto her plate, still not making eye contact.

“I mean how big?” she challenged.

“Like square footage?” Courtney asked innocently.

“Yeah. Square footage.” Bianca wondered why Courtney was so determined to avoid the question.

“Off the top of my head?” she asked, finally catching Bianca’s eye, a note in her voice that was almost warm, almost teasing.

“Off the top of your head,” Bianca repeated, staring her down.

“Oh, it’s so hard for me to remember things in feet, my brain is just rooted in metric-”

“Bullshit,” Bianca said, pointing her fork across the table. She knew that she was being pushy, but she wasn’t prepared to drop it, not now. She was a dog with a bone, finally getting Courtney’s attention, even if it was for a stupid bit of banter. “You know the square footage of your custom-built home, Courtney. Come on.”

“Well, you mean just the house, or like, everything?” Courtney asked, that teasing tone still present. “Because-”

“Everything. All the buildings on the plantation.” Bianca drummed her fingers on the table. She was well aware that Adore and Danny were watching them closely, eyes wide, attention going back and forth between them as if they were at a tennis match.

Courtney swallowed, trying to sound humble as she said, “Umm, I guess, about fifteen…ish.”

“Fifteen thousand? Square feet?”

“Yeah. But that includes the barn, with the offices and—”

“Cheers,” Bianca said, lifting her glass, wishing there was something besides lemonade and sparkling water in there. “Well done.”

“Thanks.” Courtney met her eyes again, nodding, her own eyes luminous, the pride in her expression only surpassed by her relief. But as quickly as it had appeared, the brightness faded and she looked away quickly.

Bianca continued to watch her, aching for her to look back up once again, but she didn’t. Fuck.

“Um…these tomatoes are really good, Mum,” said Adore, after a few moments, breaking the tension.

“I’m glad you like them,” Courtney said with a smile.

“They really do live up to the hype,” Bianca said, relieved that Adore had given her this opening.

Courtney didn’t say anything to that, simply letting out a small chuckle while she took a sip of her drink.

“Although, you know, she won’t eat regular tomatoes anymore. Only heirloom,” Bianca grumbled, rolling her eyes to the sky. When all else failed, falling back on playful grumpiness seemed to be her best technique.

“They taste different!” Adore insisted.

“When I was growing up, we were lucky to get tomatoes that didn’t come from a can,” Bianca told her.

“Okay, well, sorry you were poor,” said Adore. “What does that have to do with me?”

Courtney smothered a laugh behind her hand, as Bianca muttered a good-natured, “smartass,” under her breath.

“Will you tell her they taste different?” Adore whined, pulling on Courtney’s sleeve.

“They do taste different,” said Danny, coming to his sister’s defense. “Home-grown tomatoes taste way better than tomatoes from the grocery store.”

“See! Even Roach agrees.”

“I’m just saying, you’re not gonna die from a grocery store tomato,” Bianca told her.

“If you’re gonna get tomatoes from the grocery store, especially out of season, then you should go for small ones. Cherry, grape. They taste the best,” Courtney said, unable to resist a teaching moment.

“I told you!” Adore shrieked at Bianca accusingly, then turned back to Courtney to complain, “She doesn’t believe me, she always buys those horrible big ones with the vine attached.”

“Nooo, those are the worst ones!” Courtney said, hand to her chest, looking at Bianca like she was a serial killer.

“I know.” Adore folded her arms smugly and looked over at Bianca.

“Alright, just eat your lunch,” Bianca said, rolling her eyes. Nothing worse than an 11-year-old who was just told they were right about something.

***

After they finished eating, they all helped bring the dishes inside. Courtney began to put the food away while the kids finished clearing and Bianca started loading the dishwasher.

“Any special way you want me to do this?” Bianca asked, noting that the dishwasher was basically empty.

“No, however you think it fits best.”

“Uh…okay.”

There was something almost heartbreakingly domestic about it, the two of them in the kitchen together with the kids still outside. Bianca took a deep breath and turned to Courtney, figuring that now was as good a time as any. Plus, the longer she took to bite the bullet, the harder it would be.

“Listen…” Bianca cleared her throat as Courtney looked up, and she felt her cheeks heat up. She sounded entitled. She swallowed and shook her head slightly, starting again. “Do you think…could we maybe sit down and talk? Just the two of us?”

Courtney looked at her for a few moments, and Bianca wondered at first if she would say no, before she gave a nod. “Yeah, of course. That sounds good. We should…I mean, yes.”

Bianca sagged against the counter, relief flooding her veins.

When the kids came back in with the rest of the dishes, Courtney ushered them upstairs, suggesting that Danny show Adore the story he wrote about camp for school. They both went easily, but not before throwing some coy looks over their shoulders, their eyes full of hope and expectation, making Bianca feel even more nervous than she already was.

She went back to the dishwasher to finish while Courtney bustled around, brewing coffee and putting some things on a tray. Bianca couldn’t help watching her, how every movement she made was deliberate, almost as if performing an elaborately choreographed dance.

Bianca’s own hands felt clumsy as she glanced back down at the unfamiliar dishwasher. “Are you, um, sure you don’t have a preferred method here?”

“No, however you do it is totally fine,” Courtney said.

“Is that code for ‘I’ll just rearrange it later’?” Bianca joked.

“No. It means that my life is just as busy as yours, so I don’t micromanage the fucking dishwasher. Not everything is a conspiracy against you,” Courtney snapped, dumping a bunch of ice into a ceramic container, the cubes clattering violently against the side.

“I-” Bianca closed her eyes. Fuck. Why did she continually miscalculate every move, destroying every tentative peace between them? She felt incredibly stupid as she explained hoarsely, “I was kidding. I-I’m sorry.”

Courtney was silent for a few moments, just standing at the counter, moving slowly, shoulders slumped and head down. Finally, Bianca heard an audible swallow, followed by a soft, whispered, “Fuck.”

Courtney gripped the edge of the counter, doing her best to breathe.

Why did Bianca have the ability to get to her like this? Of course it was a joke. She knew that, but it had still gotten under her skin. Because she’d made another joke just like it earlier, about the fucking lemonade. And besides that, Courtney’s nerves were already frayed. Maybe they’d been that way since August. They’d definitely been that way since Bianca had shown up.

“It was a dumb joke, I’m sorry-”

“Let’s just,” Courtney took another breath. She’d already lost her shit, so she might as well figure out how to reel it back in. “I can…I can deal with the rest of the mess later, let’s just leave it.”

Bianca turned towards her. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I think…the longer we wait, the more…awkward it’ll get,” Courtney said, biting her lip. She looked over at the coffee maker, which had thankfully finished brewing, and moved towards it, filling the carafe, letting the hot liquid crackle over the ice.

“Yeah. Okay.” Bianca wiped her hands on a dish towel, her movements careful and unsure.

“I’m just fixing some iced coffee, because I figured-”

“Bless you.”

“-that we could use it,” she finished, as they exchanged a tense smile, before continuing, “Can you grab that tray?”

“Of course.” Bianca picked up the tray and followed her outside, back to the patio.

The fresh air would do both of them good; Courtney could sure use it herself. She poured glasses of iced coffee for both of them as Bianca unloaded the plates from the tray and opened the little tin.

“Those are just some biscotti I made last weekend,” Courtney said.

“Last weekend? Well, fuck that. I demand fresh biscotti, immediately,” Bianca said. Her voice was as drily sarcastic as ever, but her eyes…somehow, it seemed like she was begging Courtney to please take the joke.

Courtney rolled her eyes, trying to suppress her smile as she pulled the tray over to her own seat. She sat down and slipped on her reading glasses, opening up her notebook and iPad, making sure all her calendars were visible. She flipped to the page with the dates of all the requested visits that she’d sent to Bianca, along with the notes she’d made about possible alternate dates.

“Okay, I'm glad we’re finally doing this. It’s much easier in person,” she said. When she looked up, Bianca was staring at her with a confused expression.

“Sorry, doing…?”

“Going over the dates. For visitation. That’s what we’re doing, right?” Courtney asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Well, I…I mean…” Bianca’s confusion turned to discomfort as she twisted a napkin in her hands. She cleared her throat.

“You are prepared to go over the dates for our visitation schedule, right?” Courtney asked, trying her best to keep the frustration out of her voice. She’d snapped earlier, and she knew needed to keep control of herself, for both their sakes, “What we’ve been promising the kids since this summer? What I’ve emailed you about at least five times since August?”

“I, um…sort of had another thing to discuss with you before we-”

“Jesus christ, Bianca!” Courtney exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. She couldn’t even look at her right now.

“I just, I didn’t think that was the first-”

Courtney sighed, taking off her glasses to rub her eyes. When she looked back at Bianca, she could see that she was incredibly distressed, almost panicked—face pale, taking short, shallow breaths, eyes glassy, fingers digging into the arms of the chair. It gave her pause, so she took a deep breath, attempting to temper her initial reaction and back off.

She spoke as gently as possible, given the circumstances, asking, “So then what…if that’s not what you were planning to discuss, then what did you…want to talk about?

“I…” Bianca took a slow breath and then said, “Well…I mean, it’s been almost a month. I just, first, I wanted to see how you were doing. Are you…are you okay? I mean, how are you?” She closed her eyes briefly, as if to reset. “Sorry, I just mean-”

“I’m okay,” Courtney said, putting her out of her misery. No use making this more painful than it had to be. “I’ve had better months, but…I’ve had worse months, so…I’ll be okay.”

Bianca nodded, lips pressed together.

“What about you?” Courtney asked. “Are you?…Okay, that is?”

“I’m...uh...September’s always kind of…” Bianca shook her head, giving a kind of rueful smile.

“Right.” Courtney fought an urge to reach for her hand, instead saying, “Well, your show was great. As usual.”

“You saw it?” Bianca asked, sitting up a little straighter, eyes brightening. She seemed shocked, which surprised Courtney.

“Of course,” she assured her. “We never miss it. Danny and I, we always watch the live feed. Now it’s a tradition.”

“And…you liked it?” Bianca asked. Normally Courtney would assume she was just fishing for compliments if she asked something like that, but she seemed strangely vulnerable, both hands still clutching the napkin for dear life.

“Spectacular,” Coutney told her, offering a real smile. “Honestly.”

Bianca looked down at her hands for a moment, then spoke again, almost shyly, to say, “I, um…I saved you a dress.”

“Shut up, you did not,” Courtney said. It was possible that Bianca was just kidding around, of course, but she seemed to be serious. How thrilling would it be if she was? “Did you really?” Off Bianca’s decisive nod, she asked, “Which one?”

A coy smile pulled slightly at the corner of Bianca’s lips. “Which one would you have wanted?”

“I mean, all of them! Are you kidding?” Courtney said. “I’d be honored to wear any of them.”

“Okay, but…anything you liked more than the others? That really spoke to you?” There was a glimmer in her eye, a spark of her usual mischievousness back, and in spite of herself, Courtney felt it doing something to her, waking up that part of herself that could never resist.

“Well…I suppose there was one that-”

“Aha!” Bianca’s eyes lit up. “Okay, here’s the deal. I’ll pull up a photo of the dress I saved, and you describe the one you’re thinking of. And if it’s the same one, great. And if it’s not…then, you can still have the one I picked, and I’ll make you a replica of the one you liked more. Win-win.”

Courtney narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “What’s the catch?”

“No catch! I’m just trying to be nice, for once.” Bianca grinned, flashing her dimples, her voice cajoling, “Come on…”

“Okay, fine, fine...”

Bianca laughed, picking up her phone and scrolling quickly through her photos. “You’re welcome to look up a reference photo too, if you want.”

“I don’t need to.” Courtney took a sip of her iced coffee.

“Mmm…” Bianca smiled to herself, continuing to scroll. “Got it.”

She placed her phone face down and then folded her hands, looking into Courtney’s eyes and gesturing for her to proceed. Courtney hated to admit how easily she was going along for the ride, but here she was, obeying without another thought.

“Okay. So, it wasn’t your big show-stopping finale dress or anything. Although I did love that one,” Courtney began, remembering more and more about the dress as she spoke, the way a dream unfurls in your memory the more you talk about it. “It wasn’t even a style I wear that often. It was a cocktail dress, kind of classic Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly style silhouette, off the shoulder, cap sleeves. A tea-length skirt made of layers of hand-painted, sheer fabric. The way it moved was absolutely breathtaking. Then there was a beaded bodice that was so beautiful, so intricate, these swirling blues and yellows with some touches of black and gold around a crescent moon. The colors reminded me of Van Gough’s ‘Starry Night.’ And I’ve always just loved that painting so much…”

As Courtney’s description trailed off, Bianca flipped over her phone and slid it over, her face dominated by a smug grin. It only took the briefest glance to see that she’d been describing the dress on the screen.

“No way...” Had she really zeroed in on the exact dress Bianca selected for her? That seemed like an insane coincidence.

“You think I could ever forget how you went on and on about that painting the time we saw that documentary at The Hammer? And how you wouldn’t stop saying ‘Van Goghhh.’” Bianca exaggerated the Dutch ‘gh’ sound as if she was hacking up a hairball.

“That’s the correct way to pronounce his name,” Courtney laughed, crossing her arms defiantly.

“Whatever, you sounded pretentious as hell,” Bianca said, grinning. “So…yeah. Of course you have to have that dress.”

Courtney picked up the phone to look closer, noticing some detailing that she’d missed before, when it was in motion on the runway.

“Is there embroidery on the skirt?” she marveled.

“Yeah, on the top layer,” Bianca said.

“It’s incredible…” Courtney said, zooming in even more to examine the stunning, intricate work.

“Thanks. Not sure how Van Gogh would feel about the AB stones, but I like to think he’d be cool with the embroidery.”

“Definitely. I can’t believe I’m going to be seeing it in person,” Courtney said. “Although I’m not sure when I would possibly have an opportunity to wear a dress like this.”

“I don’t know…the Met Gala?” Bianca suggested.

“You think I get invited to the Met Gala?!” Courtney exclaimed, laughing. Bianca obviously had a very warped impression of what her life was like.

“Okay, the Oscars then,” Bianca said.

“Guess again.”

“Emmys?”

“Nope.” Courtney shook her head once more.

“Come on! Creative Arts Emmys. For sure,” she insisted. “You’ve won those.”

Courtney was a little surprised that Bianca even knew that—probably because the kids had told her, or some news item she’d read in passing. She didn’t linger on thoughts about it though, instead explaining, “That’s a day event. This isn’t a daytime dress.”

“Hmmm…alright, what about Trader Joe’s, next time you’re buying quinoa?” Bianca asked, then held up her hand. “Sorry, sorry, I forgot, you’re rich now. I obviously meant Whole Foods.”

“You think I can afford the mortgage, property taxes, and Whole Foods? I have money, but not Oprah money,” Courtney said, winking.

Bianca laughed, shaking her head. “Fine, Trader Joe’s it is. Costco, if you really wanna save.”

“Ooh, the valley? Dirty.”

Bianca laughed, her dimples deep in her cheeks, brown eyes shining, and Courtney realized she’d been totally charmed, despite her best efforts to the contrary.

She lowered her eyes demurely and swiped through a few more pictures. “You know, I’m a little disappointed,” she said, “Because I really thought I was gonna get two dresses out of this deal.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, I mean, this blue one with the open back…” she held up the phone, sighing wistfully, lashes fluttering.

“Tell you what,” Bianca said, still grinning. “I’ll talk to the designer for you.”

“Tell her I’m a big fan,” Courtney teased, sliding the phone back towards Bianca.

“Will do,” Bianca chuckled, giving her a wink.

Courtney giggled along, but her smile faltered a little when she caught sight of her notebook, lying on the table. “So, um…I assume that isn’t the real reason you wanted to talk.” She gestured to Bianca’s phone.

“No.”

Bianca’s laughter faded as she picked it up, slipping it into the inside pocket of her blazer. She was probably hot in that thing. There was a long, awkward pause, as she cleared her throat, looking deeply uncomfortable.

Courtney folded her hands, waiting, trying not to rush her. She obviously had something to say, and needed to work up to it. It wasn’t like her to be nervous, or to have a hard time speaking her mind, so this was surely something difficult.

“Okay…” she finally began. “I guess…I should start with an apology…"

#rpdr fanfiction #veronica #masters of the scene #s6 #adore delano #bianca del rio #courtney act #bitney #bitney parent trap #parent trap au #lesbian au #trans character #kid fic #angst #fluff

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