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headcanonsandmore · 2 years ago

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'Glad All Over (Cake By The Ocean)', Chapter Two

Summary: Nyssa is slowly growing used to life in the charming Cornish town of Tregonnereth, although her attraction to a certain Australian continues to grow stronger with each passing day. Luckily, an arrival from London may just give Nyssa the impetus she needs to get out of her shell.

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I told myself I was going to take this fic slowly and update it at a more casual pace.

I then proceeded to write 6.5k over the span of one week.

I am my own worst enemy when it comes to these things, it seems. 🤣

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Read on AO3.

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Nyssa Traken laced up her shoes, and headed out of her hotel room.

It had been a few days since she had decided to move to Cornwall. She was slowly becoming used to the slower pace of life. London was a very intense, hyper-charged place, full of busy people living busy lives. But Cornwall? The pace of life was slowed to a gentle crawl, like a bike ride on a soft summer day. It was… charming, to say the least. Nyssa had already noticed that her stress levels had dropped, despite having to move her things down from London. Her heartrate had also dropped slightly.

Well, most of the time.

The time that she wasn’t around a certain Australian woman.

Tegan had offered to show Nyssa different properties that she could rent in the town. After all, she couldn’t live in the hotel forever. Tregonnereth had implemented rent controls way back in the seventies that were still in effect now, meaning that -unlike the extortionate London rental prices Nyssa was used to- she was looking at a very affordable rent on whichever place she decided to move into.

And she needed to move into somewhere soon. She was in the midst of having her belongings brought down from her flat in London, and she couldn’t well keep them all in the practice or the hotel for any length of time.

Tegan was waiting for her outside the hotel. The Australian -her hair shorted and cropped as ever- was wearing a pair of loose dungarees over an old collarless grandad shirt. The dungarees -patched and careworn- were tucked into a pair of scuffed-up walking boots. The entire ensemble was covered in splodges of paint; Tegan had been working on getting the practice looking nice for the past couple of days, doing everything from the plumbing to fitting new doors to new coats of paint on the walls (both inside and out).

In essence, she looked utterly beautiful.

Nyssa sighed. It wasn’t fair.

‘Heya!’ Tegan said, grinning as Nyssa approached.

‘Hello; sorry I’m late.’

‘What?’- Tegan inspected her watch- ‘Nah, it’s ten past.’

‘You said nine!’

‘I said nine-ish. Completely different.’

‘Nine… ish?’

Tegan chuckled.

‘Sorry; I keep forgetting London runs on a different time. This is Cornwall; nothing has to be on-the-dot, especially not meeting up with someone.’

‘Oh,’ Nyssa said, before smiling. ‘I see.’

Tegan smiled, cheeks dimpling.

‘Anyway, I’ve got a few different places I think you might like; all ready to start looking?’

Nyssa nodded.

‘Thanks again for agreeing to help me look for somewhere.’

‘No worries,’ the Australian replied, as they headed up the road. ‘Technically, I’m qualified as an estate agent, but I never tell people that; y’know the stereotype.’

‘Tegan, I don’t think many people would assume you to be a fast-talking con-artist.’

‘I should bloody hope not,’ Tegan cheeked, flashing dimples. ‘The first one’s just along this side street…’

About four hours later, Nyssa had decided on a flat. It was decent-sized place, on a small side-road just off the main high street. There was a small garden in the back, and even had a second bedroom that Nyssa was considering turning into a study or library. When she’d mentioned this to Tegan, the Australian had chuckled, grinning knowingly before cheeking that she wasn’t remotely surprised.

‘Well, what would you turn it into?’ Nyssa asked, chuckling in response, as they left the estate agents.

‘Hobby room,’ Tegan said. ‘Put all my boards in there, plus my bike.’

‘I’ll stick with the books, thank you.’

‘Ah, c’mon; live a little!’ Tegan exclaimed, grinning. ‘Listen, the estate agents won’t have your paperwork ready until at least 4pm today; I’ll lend you one of my boards, and you can get a feel for it.’

‘Me? Surfing?’

‘Sure,’ the Australian replied, cheerfully. ‘Cornwall’s known for its surfing. And, living as close as we are to the sea, we’ve always got tons of opportunities. C’mon; I’ve got the afternoon off, let me give you a lesson.’

Nyssa stared into those large brown eyes, and found herself unable to do anything but nod.

‘Great!’ Tegan said, grabbing Nyssa by the arm and practically pulling her along the high street back to the hotel. ‘Before we start, you’re probably gonna want to take your clothes off, though.’

Nyssa felt her stomach flip over.

Nyssa had accomplished much in her life. Achieving a first class degree in Dentistry, working full-time for many years, trying to deal with living in a city of several million people despite being very introverted, realising she was attracted to women and subsequently coming out to her father…

And, while this wasn’t nearly as difficult as those last two things, what she faced now was still quite possibly one of her most daunting challenges yet.

Getting a wetsuit on.

It had started off promising. Tegan had hurried back to her own place to grab one of her spare wetsuits for Nyssa, and handed it over. The Australian had referred to it as her “summer spare”; the legs were roughly three-quarter-length and the arms reached Nyssa’s elbows. Nyssa had first put on a one-piece swimming costume that she had bought in the village shop, and then began to climb into the wetsuit.

The legs weren’t an issue; she slipped into them without much difficulty, although it was definitely a little snug. Nyssa guessed that was due to her being a couple of inches taller than Tegan.

She then pulled the wetsuit up, and slotted her arms in. She then reached round and began to pull at the long zipper.

It only came halfway up her back.

‘Drat!’ Nyssa exclaimed.

‘Nyssa?’

There was a knock. Tegan had politely stepped into Nyssa’s bathroom while she changed.

‘You alright?’

‘F-fine,’ Nyssa replied, quickly. ‘Just having a bit of trouble with the zip.’

‘I forgot about that,’ Tegan replied, through the door. ‘Hang on, let me give you a hand.’

‘Oh, it’s fine, you don’t need to-’

The door opened, and Nyssa froze, her arm awkwardly reached around to pull up the zipper currently stuck halfway up her back. She was immensely conscious of the fact that her hair was coming out of its tight bun, and she wasn’t wearing make-up.

Seemingly not noticing Nyssa’s awkwardness, Tegan crossed the room.

‘It’s always difficult doing these things up if you aren’t used to them,’ the Australian said, kindly. ‘Don’t worry; a second pair of hands will sort this out.’

As Tegan took hold of the zipper, her other hand came to rest on Nyssa’s back. The Londoner gave a small squeak.

‘Whoops, sorry; cold hands,’ Tegan said. ‘You okay?’

Nyssa nodded, feeling heat rise in her cheeks. She didn’t trust herself to speak, just in case what her mouth might end up saying with Tegan’s gentle fingers pressed softly to the skin of her upper back.

‘That’s weird,’ Tegan said, voice a little perplexed. ‘You’re only a little bit taller than me; I thought this would fit you no problem.’

‘Maybe it’s the swimming costume underneath?’ Nyssa suggested. ‘It is a one-piece, after all.’

‘Nah,’ Tegan replied, giving the zipper another pull. ‘Strange. It’s almost as if the material is too tight around your…’

Tegan trailed off, and Nyssa felt her face burn. Oh, no…

‘Huh,’ Tegan said, after a moment. ‘I suppose I am pretty skinny, but I didn’t that extended to my-’

‘Oh, stop it!’ Nyssa moaned.

‘It’s fine,’ Tegan said, with a chuckle. ‘I’ll grab you a rash-top and some bottoms instead; don’t worry about it. Everyone’s got their body type; I should have remembered.’

‘T-thank you,’ Nyssa mumbled, utterly mortified. ‘Sorry about the hassle.’

‘Yes, you’re definitely hassling me with your ample-’

‘Tegan!’

The Australian let out a bark of laughter.

‘Just take the wetsuit off; I’ll be back in a mo.’

The door clicked behind the Australian. Nyssa slowly managed to remove the wetsuit, but she could still feel her face burning. Although… Tegan didn’t seem to have minded.

Darn it, Nyssa thought, I really am hopeless, aren’t I?

Nyssa headed out onto the beach, feeling self-conscious. She had never really been a very outdoorsy person, so she felt rather awkward as she walked across the sands. The sun was out, and the small beach was basking in the warm light of early summer. She had to admit, it felt good on her skin. Although she did appreciate that the beach was virtually deserted, possibly due to the tourists not arriving this early in the summer and the locals having other things to do.

‘Tegan?’

Tegan turned, from where she was standing, and waved.

The Australian was wearing her wetsuit, and had clearly already been in for a quick dip, because her damp hair was pushed up and outwards away from her face, sticking up slightly with the salty water. Her brown eyes sparkled in the sunshine, and her cheeks dimpled as she smiled at Nyssa.

Nyssa ignored the spike in her heartrate. She couldn’t just get flustered every time she saw Tegan like this; given the close proximity to the sea, she’d end up with a dodgy heart within two months.

‘There we go,’ Tegan said, grinning. ‘Now you’re in the right gear, we can get started.’

‘Given the weather being so nice, I’m surprised you suggested I try the wetsuit first,’ Nyssa said. ‘Unless you just wanted to embarrass me.’

‘In my defence,’ Tegan said, putting out her hands in a gesture of innocence. ‘I thought the water might be too cold for you, since you aren’t used to it.’

Nyssa smiled, feeling her own cheeks dimple.

‘Anyway,’ Tegan elaborated. ‘If it means so much to you, you can walk in on me half-dressed later on and see how embarrassed I get.’

Nyssa giggled.

‘And how do I know you wouldn’t just take advantage of the situation?’

‘Impossible, Nys,’ Tegan said, with a quick wink as she bent down to pick up the surfboards. ‘I’m not exactly pin-up material.’

‘Debateable,’ Nyssa said, trying and failing not to stare at how close-fitting the Australian’s wetsuit was. ‘And I thought you weren’t looking?’

Tegan gave a guilty look as she stood back up.

‘Well, I am a lesbian,’ she said. ‘Sorry; I swear I didn’t mean to look.’

‘O-oh,’ Nyssa replied, blinking quickly. Had she been that obvious in her attraction? ‘I-I didn’t-’

‘You might as well know,’ Tegan said, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand. ‘I mean, some straight women find it a little…’

‘Having never been heterosexual, I wouldn’t know,’ Nyssa said. ‘And I don’t mind you looking.’

‘As long as you don’t think I’m ogling-’

‘You’re not. And, well, you’re not the only one who’s been looking.’

Tegan stared at her for a moment. Their eyes met, and Nyssa felt a shiver go up her spine.

‘Er… so, surfing?’

‘Y-yeah!’

Tegan instructed Nyssa to climb onto one of the boards and then kneel down. Nyssa did so.

‘Surfing’s all about balance,’ Tegan said. ‘Once you’re able to stand up, it’ll get a lot easier, so we’re gonna practice now, before you get into the water…’

Tegan moved, and Nyssa felt her breath catch in her throat, as she realised just how close the Australian was to her. Certain parts of Tegan were pressing up against her back, and she was immensely conscious of Tegan’s two arms wrapped around her middle.

‘Now…’ Tegan said, very softly. ‘When I say go, you jump to your feet, ‘kay?’

Nyssa nodded, hoping against hope that Tegan couldn’t tell how fast her heart was suddenly beating.

‘Okay… now!’

As Nyssa moved, she felt Tegan’s hands close around her middle. She gave a squeak, and lost her footing.

There was a crash, as the two women tumbled down onto the sands in a tangle of limbs. As they came to a stop, Nyssa realised -in shock- that she had somehow ended up straddling Tegan’s waist and was now staring down at the Australian, their faces barely a few inches apart. Her hands were planted into the sand on either side of Tegan’s head.

‘S-sorry, Tegan!’ she exclaimed, feeling her face flush. Her own hair was coming out of its bun and was hanging down past her face. ‘Are you alright?’

Tegan stared up at her, her more closely cropped hair hanging loosely against the sand, the light brown locks contrasting with the yellow grains. She seemed to freeze slightly, as if unsure of how to react. Nyssa could practically hear the Australians heart beat -was it accelerating?- through her own body. With mounting horror, Nyssa realised that Tegan’s pulse wasn’t the only thing she could now feeling through the wetsuits.

‘Y-yeah,’ Tegan said, looking dazed. ‘Fine. You… you okay?’

Nyssa nodded.

‘Sorry, let me just…’

Nyssa climbed off the Australian and got to her feet, before giving Tegan a hand to stand up.

‘Er…’ -Tegan awkwardly climbed to her feet, before letting go off Nyssa’s hand- ‘Shall… shall we try that again? I think it best if I don’t squeeze your middle this time…’

Nyssa felt her face burn as she remembered the feel of Tegan pressing gently against her skin, in various different places. Places that she definitely did not want to think about, for fear of going round the bend. Hopefully, Nyssa thought, she’d get the hang of surfing because she lost her mind completely.

By noon the next day, Nyssa had moved into her new flat. Tegan and a few of the other locals -including Barbara the schoolteacher- had helped carry her things across from the hotel. And, now that she had a permanent address, she had started sending for the remainder of her things back in London.

Nyssa was just placing the last of the cardboard boxes away in a cupboard, when the doorbell rang. Assuming it was another delivery, she headed through the flat and towards the door. However, the sight that greeted her when she opened the door was not a delivery person, but-

‘Mel?’

‘Hi!’ exclaimed the redhead, a wide smile on her face as she hurried forward and pulled Nyssa into a tight hug. A wheely-suitcase was stood on the side of the open door. ‘Nyssa; how are you?’

‘I-Fine- Mel, what are you doing here?’

‘Oh, please,’ Mel said, fixing Nyssa with a knowing gaze as she pulled away, leaving her hands on Nyssa’s shoulders. ‘I can’t just let you relocate somewhere on your own. Nyssa, I remember how introverted you were at uni. I know you’re a bit better nowadays, but still…’

‘I…’ Nyssa stared at her friend. ‘But, what about London?’

Mel waved a hand dismissively.

‘Nyssa; you’re my best friend. And, like you said on the phone yesterday, things in London are just getting worse. I was planning on moving somewhere less stressful at some point, so why not now? And I get to stay here with my favourite person.’ -Mel’s face suddenly became a little unsure- ‘If… if you’ll have me, that is. I probably should have called you first-’

Nyssa pulled Mel into a hug.

‘Of course you’re welcome here,’ she said, clutching her friend closely. ‘You are fantastic, Melanie Bush.’

Mel wrapped her arms around Nyssa, and swayed slightly as they hugged.

‘Thank you,’ the redhead said, smiling as she let go. ‘You’re fantastic too, Nyssa. I really appreciate it. Wait, does this mean you’re my boss now?’

‘I suppose!’ Nyssa chuckled. ‘But I think… business partners would be more appropriate.’

‘Oh, thank you,’ Mel replied, as she pulled her suitcase inside. ‘I take it Tregonnereth doesn’t have another dental practice.’

‘Not a one. Tegan says that the town’s got a really close-knit community here, but she thinks our dental practice should fit in quite nicely.’

Mel nodded.

‘That’s good. Speaking of the town… may I have a tour?’

Nyssa smiled, before slipping on a pair of trainers.

The weather had clouded over somewhat, but it was still fine weather, all things considered. Nyssa had already noticed that, while Cornwall did have a warmer climate than most of the rest of southern Britain, it was also a lot more humid. A microclimate, as it were.

‘That’s the harbour,’ she said, as Mel followed her down through the high street towards the sea. ‘And just over there is the beach.’

‘Lovely!’ Mel replied, staring at the crystal-blue waters that seemed to shine even in the scant sunshine. ‘I never would have imagined you’d start being more outdoorsy.’

‘Debatable,’ Nyssa said, chuckling to herself. ‘I tried surfing earlier; good grief, Tegan had her work cut out trying to get me upright. Good thing the beach was otherwise deserted.’

She smiled at the memory from the previous day. For more reasons that she felt able to admit.

‘Nyssa?’

‘Hmm?’

Mel fixed her with an all-too-knowing look.

‘Who’s… Tegan?’

‘O-oh, Tegan?’ Nyssa said, feeling heat rise in her cheeks. ‘She lives here too. She’s been very helpful; she’s shown me the practice, as well as my flat. Why? Did I mention her at some point?’

‘About half a dozen times so far, yes,’ said Mel, grinning in a horribly knowing way. ‘I’m sure she’s been very helpful.’

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Nyssa said, primly.

‘Oh, obviously,’ Mel cheeked. ‘I mean, I’m sure you mentioning her that many times without realising it means absolutely nothing.’

Nyssa didn’t reply. She instead turned and headed back up the high street. After a moment of giggling, Mel followed.

‘Here’s the practice,’ Nyssa said, gesturing down the side street to where the premises were. ‘I’ll show you it all later; which reminds me, I need to get copies of the key made. I should ask…’

She trailed off.

‘Let me guess,’ Mel giggled. ‘Perhaps the mysterious Tegan?’

‘Shut up. Come on; I need to get some things down in the pharmacy.’

The two women headed across the road, and into the local pharmacists. Like many chain pharmacies, the inside was much the same as any other; all plastic shelving and bright artificial lights. Although this one was slightly unique in that the section for suncream was a lot bigger than the ones back in London normally were.

The woman at the counter was dressed in a white coat. She was roughly ten years older than Nyssa. Her soft auburn hair was tied into a bun. And, of course, she was rather pretty.

‘Can I help?’

‘Er…’ Nyssa said, momentarily a little tongue-tied. ‘Y-yes, I’m come to have my prescriptions moved to this pharmacy, I’ve just moved to the town, you see-’

‘Oh, you must be Nyssa!’ replied the woman, smiling. ‘Yes, Tegan’s mentioned you a fair few times.’

Nyssa didn’t even bother looking at Mel; she could practically hear her suppressing another set of the giggles.

‘I’m Liz, by the way,’ said the auburn-haired pharmacist. ‘I’m the lead pharmacist here. Nice to have a fellow scientific mind in the town.’

‘Thank you,’ Nyssa said.

Liz handed Nyssa some forms attached to a clipboard to fill out, and Nyssa sat down on a chair nearby. Mel continued to standing, but moved to be in front to her. She then bent down.

‘So, “Tegan’s mentioned you a fair few-”’

‘Mel, stop it,’ Nyssa said, focusing on the forms. ‘It’s a small town; people tell each other things. Besides, I’m the current novelty; you probably will be too for the next couple of weeks.’

Mel chuckled.

Presently, Nyssa finished the forms and handed them back to Liz, who smiled at her as she took the clipboard back.

‘I hear you’re opening up the dental practice again,’ the pharmacist said. ‘It’ll do the place some good, especially for the pensioners who can’t easily get to other places.’

‘Exactly,’ Nyssa said. She had always felt a little awkward around talking to people in shops; possibly due to living in London for so long. ‘Er, this is Mel, by the way. She’s my dental assistant.’

‘Pleasure,’ Mel said, exchanging a smile with Liz. ‘Nice pride flag, by the way.’

‘Thank you,’ Liz said, and Nyssa saw that she had a small rainbow flag attached to her lanyard. ‘Tregonnereth Pride is happening a bit later on this summer; it’s going to be wonderful.’

‘Oh, lovely! We’ll have to go to that, won’t we, Nyssa?’

Nyssa nodded, feeling rather self-conscious. She’d never been quite so easy to talk about these things in public as Mel was. Especially when a pretty pharmacist was smiling at her.

‘We’ll see you there, then,’ Liz replied. ‘Bye; see you dreckly!’

‘Dreckly?’ Mel said, giving a confused glance at Nyssa, who shrugged in bewilderment.

Liz gave a laugh.

‘Sorry; I forget you’re from up-country,’ the auburn-haired woman chuckled, good-naturedly. ‘That’s a Cornish phrase. It means “at some time in the future”.’

‘Gosh,’ Mel replied, with a laugh. ‘It’s like a different world here. Bye, Liz; see you dreckly, then!’

‘Well, Cornwall is a Celtic nation,’ Nyssa said, as they walked back to the entrance. ‘It’s no small wonder that the language is different, even when speaking English-’

Nyssa promptly bumped into someone as they rounded the corner of an aisle.

‘Oh, my apologies,’ Nyssa said, awkwardly. ‘I should have looked where I was-’

‘Hi!’ exclaimed the young woman Nyssa had just collided with. She looked a couple of years younger than Nyssa and Mel. She was grinning cheerfully from ear-to-ear, and seemed completely unbothered by Nyssa’s awkwardness. Her hair was tied into a long braid that extended down her back, over the jacket (covered in badges and patches) that she wore. ‘You’re Nyssa, right? The posh Londoner Tegan has been going on about?’

‘I… I am,’ Nyssa said, feeling her face flush at the mention of the Australian and promptly ignoring Mel’s look of amusement. ‘Nice to meet you, er…’

‘Ace McShane.’

Nyssa found her hand roughly shook. It was rather like meeting a chipmunk that had been given several dozen espressos.

Ace promptly turned her attention to Mel.

‘So…’ she said, taking Mel’s hand in a far softer way than she had done with Nyssa. ‘Big city girl too?’

‘Yes,’ Mel said, with a giggle. ‘I’m Mel. Pleasure to meet you’

‘Pleasure’s all mine,’ Ace replied, grinning lopsidedly as she let go of Mel’s hand. ‘Wicked hair, by the way.’

Mel giggled again, her mane of bushy red hair shaking over her shoulders.

‘Oh, you like it?’

‘It’s gorgeous; are you a model, or something?’

‘Stop it-’

Nyssa looked inbetween the two women, feeling more and more like they’d both entirely forgotten that she was standing with them.

‘I’m serious,’ Ace continued, grinning widely as she looked Mel up and down. ‘Proper gorgeous, you are. I hope your personality’s as lovely.’

‘Flattery will get you nowhere,’ replied Mel, with a tone of voice that implied the exact opposite. ‘I’m a dental technician; how about you?’

‘Oh, bit of this, bit of that,’ Ace said, before giving another wink. ‘Quite a bit of that, actually.’

Mel’s cheeks flushed, and she laughed again.

‘I can imagine,’ she said. ‘You’re a local, then?’

‘Born and bred in Kernow. Speaking of which, I’ve got places to be. But see you around, Mel.’

‘Yeah,’ Mel breathed, a slight flush on her cheeks. ‘See you around… Ace.’

Ace gave the redhead one last quick wink, before walking away, her long braided hair dancing as she walked. Mel stared after her, a soft smile still etched into her face. Absentmindedly, she twirled a finger through her ginger hair.

Nyssa gave a cough. Mel startled, as if suddenly realising that Nyssa had been stood beside her the entire time.

‘Not. A. Word.’

‘Of course,’ Nyssa said, with a knowing chuckle. ‘I’m sure that conversation definitely didn’t mean anything-’

‘Nyssa!’

The two women laughed, before leaving the pharmacy.

A few hours later, Mel had properly moved into the spare room. Nyssa was a little put out that she couldn’t convert it into a library, but having her best friend around was a good trade-off. Mel had brought a few things with her, but -aside from her clothes and laptop- it was mainly basic stuff. Mel said she would be having the rest of the things down from London over the next few weeks, although it would mainly be things like duvets and soft furnishings.

The doorbell rang again, and Nyssa headed to the door, expecting another delivery. However, it was apparently her day to meet people, because Tegan Jovanka was stood on the doorstep, wearing a pair of cut-off-shorts and a t-shirt, with a plaid shirt wrapped around her waist.

‘Thought you might like a personal delivery,’ the Australian said, grinning, as she handed over two sets of keys. ‘For the practice premises; I got a bunch of texts saying you’ve now got a dental assistant?’

‘Er, yes,’ Nyssa said, quickly, trying to half-close the door and leaning against it. ‘Yeah, she’s a bit busy unpacking, so-’

‘Oh, this is Tegan!’ Mel exclaimed, bounding up behind Nyssa, and pulling open the door, giving a wide smile. ‘Nice to meet you; Nyssa’s told me so much about you.’

‘Really?’ Tegan said, smiling at Nyssa as she shook Mel’s hand. ‘My reputation proceeds me, it seems-’

‘Oh, stop it!’ Nyssa moaned, but without any real venom. ‘Look, this is Mel Bush, my best friend.’

‘Ahh,’ Tegan said, with an expression of dawning understanding. ‘You moved down to make sure this one doesn’t keep herself isolated down here, eh?’

‘Something like that,’ Mel chuckled, as Nyssa rolled her eyes. ‘Nyssa’s lovely but she can be very shy. You should have seen what she was like at uni; hang on, I’ve got photos…’

‘Mel, you don’t need to-’ Nyssa began, but Mel was already pulling out her phone. She turned to stand next to Tegan on the doorstep. Tegan leaned over, and her eyes widened.

‘Is that… a black choker?’

‘Mel!’ Nyssa exclaimed. ‘Do you have to show her that photo?’

‘What? I thought you looked nice in this one!’ Mel said, looking slightly affronted before turning back to Tegan and continued scrolling. ‘Now, there was a Rocky Horror night at the student union in second year; Nyssa had this gorgeous black corset on… oh, where is that photo-’

Nyssa grabbed the phone out of Mel’s hand.

‘What did you do that for?’ Mel said, trying to grab her phone back. ‘It’s not a bad photo; very classy. It really showed off your-’

‘Nope,’ Nyssa said, refusing to look Tegan in the eye. ‘I don’t think Tegan would appreciate that photo.’

Mel gave a smirk that implied she thought otherwise.

‘To be fair,’ Tegan said, chuckling with an air of polite bewilderment. ‘I have already seen you half-dressed, Nys. But I’m sure the black corset looked very fetching on you.’

Mel looked at Nyssa with an expression that plainly said we will be having a conversation about this later.

‘So,’ Nyssa said, frowning, as she turned back to Tegan. ‘Are you here to just listen to Mel tell embarrassing stories? Or can I invite you in for a cuppa?’

‘Actually, we have a meeting this evening for local business owners,’ Tegan said. ‘And, since you are our newest business owner, I thought it might be a good opportunity for you to introduce yourself to everyone.’

‘Oh,’ said Nyssa, quickly. ‘That’s very kind of you, but I’m going to be very busy this evening getting everything unpacked and now Mel’s here-’

‘What Nyssa is trying to say,’ Mel said, interrupting. ‘Is that she’d love to come and, because I’m here as well, the things she needs to do will take half as long, meaning she will definitely be able to attend.’

‘Great!’ replied Tegan, before Nyssa could say anything. ‘The meeting’s at six in the town hall; we normally have snacks during, and then a meal in the pub afterwards. Just as long as Ace doesn’t get into an argument with the bar-staff again.’

Mel’s cheeks turned slightly pink as she stepped back into the flat.

‘Oh, is… is Ace going to be there too?’

‘Ah, you’ve met her already, I see,’ Tegan said, with a smirk. ‘Yeah; she’ll be there. Technically, she shouldn’t, but no-one around here is gonna tell Ace McShane she can’t go to something. Normally, I have to keep her scoffing all the snacks before the meeting starts.’

‘That’s good,’ Mel said, smiling. ‘Tell you what; if you help Nyssa get introduced to everyone, I’ll keep Ace talking so she won’t eat everything.’

‘Done!’

‘Sorry to interrupt, Tegan,’ Nyssa said, hand already on the door. ‘but Mel and I really have things to get on with; urgent… dentist stuff.’

‘Uh huh,’ Tegan replied, clearly not believing a word of it. ‘Well, it was nice to meet you, Mel; I’ll see you both at the meeting.’

Tegan walked away, and Nyssa closed the door.

‘Stop. It.’

‘What?’ Mel asked, looking as if she already knew the answer. ‘I was just chatting to Tegan-who seems lovely, by the way- and you act like I’m being super obnoxious-’

‘You know fully well why I stopped that conversation in its tracks,’ Nyssa hissed.

‘Let’s pretend I don’t,’ Mel said, smiling knowingly. ‘What possible reason could I have for making sure you spend time with Tegan Jovanka?’

Nyssa felt the heat rise in her cheeks, as they headed back into the sitting room.

‘I like it here!’ Nyssa said. ‘Tegan’s been very sweet to me, and I won’t have you making things complicated between us!’

‘By the looks of things, it was already complicated to begin with. Didn’t you say she was helping you learn to surf?’

‘So?’

‘So she had her arms around you and probably was very up-close-and-personal with you? Let me guess, she probably had to help you put the wetsuit on as well, which is pretty homoerotic regardless of anything else.’

‘Wetsuits; homoerotic?’

‘Anything and everything can be homoerotic,’ Mel explained, as if stating the obvious. ‘Depending on how you look at it.’

‘I’m not anything erotic!’ Nyssa exclaimed. ‘Especially not in a borrowed wetsuit that didn’t even fit me around the chest!’

Mel stared at her, grin widening as Nyssa slowly realised what she had just admitted.

‘Sounds pretty homoerotic to me,’ she said, with a chuckle. ‘Why does it bother you so much that you and Tegan Jovanka might have… subtext going on?’

‘Because!’ Nyssa exclaimed. ‘I… I don’t make friends easily, Mel! I like Tegan but… what if I ruin something lovely because I misinterpret something?’

Mel smiled at her.

‘You won’t, Nyssa. Honestly, this is like what happened with Romana all over again-’

‘That was completely different!’ Nyssa said, face now burning. ‘For the last time, Romana was my senior; I did not -and never have had- a crush on her!’

‘Oh, so that is different than it is with Tegan, then?’

Nyssa closed her mouth, and fixed it into a pout, glaring at her friend.

‘Oh, Nyssa,’ Mel said, putting a hand on her friends shoulder. ‘You really are your worst enemy when it comes to these things. Look, regardless of what your feelings may be towards a certain Ms Jovanka, is it really so bad that you’ll meet other business owners? Small dental practices are for the local community, after all; you’ll need to get your face out there.’

‘But…’ Nyssa said. ‘I’m… I’m not good with people.’

‘Yes, you are,’ Mel said. ‘You just get over-worried thinking about things. Listen, Tegan knows everyone here, by the sounds of it, so you won’t need to worry about introducing yourself to everyone by yourself. No-one will be expecting you to memorise everyone’s names immediately, so just take it slowly. I’ll be here to step in if you get overwhelmed, so don’t worry.’

Nyssa sighed, before smiling softly.

‘You are a good friend, Mel.’

‘As are you,’ the redhead replied, smiling. ‘So, what are you going to wear?’

Nyssa looked down at her clothes.

‘What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?’

‘Nothing; I just think you might feel more at ease if you wear less formal attire for the meeting. People will find you more approachable if you’re not dressed up to the nines.’

A twinkle appeared in Mel’s eyes.

‘Besides,’ she added. ‘I think Tegan may appreciate seeing you in that cute summer dress with the plunging-’

‘Mel!’

Nyssa had point-blank refused to wear the dress Mel had suggested, and instead had settled on a stripey top and long summer skirt. Although she had let Mel ease her hair out of it’s up-do, leaving it down in a relaxed style that Nyssa normally only had when she was relaxing by herself. Mel had spent twenty minutes fussing over her hair, before noticing Nyssa’s knowing look and swatting her lightly on the arm. The redhead had eventually settled on a blue-and-white striped top with pink dungarees to wear.

The town hall was like many town halls; slightly cold, and with lots of plastic chairs that were designed not for comfort but for the ability to be stacked away easily. As Nyssa and Mel entered, Barbara -who was stood by the snack table- waved at them.

‘Thank you for having us,’ Mel said, as Barbara poured them both cups of blackcurrant juice. ‘You must be Barbara, I take it?’

‘My pleasure,’ said the teacher, smiling warmly. ‘Yes, I am; and you must the mysterious Mel that Ace couldn’t stop mentioning in conversation.’

Mel gave a tittering laugh, her cheeks slightly flushed.

‘O-oh, yes; that’s me. Er… w-where is Ace, anyway?’

Barbara pointed towards a circle of chairs. Sure enough, the younger woman was sat, her jacket -covered in patches- draped over the back of her chair.

With one quick nervous grin at Nyssa, Mel promptly headed across the room and plonked herself down in the seat next to Ace, who immediately dropped the packet of crisps she was holding.

Giggling, Mel titled her head, letting her long mane of curly red hair dangle over her shoulder. Ace seemed dazzled for a moment, before flashing a grin.

‘She works fast.’

Nyssa startled. Tegan had appeared through the doorway, and had come to stand beside her. She was wearing what she had worn earlier, except that the plaid shirt was now hung loosely unbuttoned and was rolled up to her sleeves. Barbara, perhaps sensing Nyssa’s flusteredness, gave her a knowing smile before silently moving away.

‘Mel’s always been very… straightforward,’ Nyssa said, taking a sip of her drink. ‘Sometimes I wonder how many people at our university secretly held a torch for her without her realising.’

‘Really?’ Tegan said, turning to Nyssa. ‘I would have thought that…’

‘What?’

‘Oh, come off it, Nys,’ the Australian said, chuckling. ‘I bet half the people at your uni were fancying you the whole time.’

Nyssa’s mouth fell open.

‘You’re not serious.’

‘Course I bloody am,’ Tegan said, taking a sip from her own glass. ‘Thought it was obvious…’

‘Er… thank you?’

Tegan shrugged.

‘Sorry; I wasn’t trying to confuse you,’ the Australian said. ‘People often say that I’m not good with words.’

‘No,’ Nyssa said. ‘I… I appreciate it, Tegan.’

The two women stood in silence for a moment, before more people entered the hall, and the meeting began to properly get underway.

Nyssa found herself bombarded with new names and faces. And, while she was sure no-one would expect her to memorise them all, Nyssa wanted to learn each of them off by heart as quickly as she could. People in small communities were held together by those bonds, after all; the least she could do was to try, especially after all the warmth they had shown her in the last few days. So, she tried to remember that Jo Grant worked at the school as a teaching assistant, and that Mike Yates was on the committee for the local Pride, and that Jamie McCrimmon worked as a porter in the nearest hospital.

‘And I heard that you’ve already met our other resident boffin,’ Tegan said, finally gesturing to Liz the pharmacist. ‘Elisabeth Shaw, allow me to formally introduce Nyssa Traken.’

‘Charmed,’ Liz said, cheeks dimpling as she shook Nyssa’s hand. She was still wearing her uniform, but had let her auburn hair down; it framed her face very prettily. ‘This is normally when I’d introduce my wife, but Patsy’s working late today. She said not to wait for her; she probably won’t make it. Lovely to meet you again, Nyssa.’

‘Patsy and Liz had been together since they were at uni together,’ Tegan said, to Nyssa, after Liz had gone to get herself a drink. There were so many people in the room that Tegan had to lean in close to Nyssa’s face. ‘I think they were the first same-sex couple married in the church, actually.’

Nyssa nodded, mutely.

‘Ohhh,’ Tegan said, a wry grin appearing on her face. ‘I should have guessed you’d have a thing for a woman in a lab-coat-’

‘Tegan!’ Nyssa hissed, feeling her face burn.

‘Let me guess; Barbara as well, right? She’s most teenagers first crush around here…’

‘Can we just stop talking about how I develop aesthetic attraction to every other woman I seem to meet around here?’

Tegan laughed, eyes twinkling at Nyssa, who found herself unable to stay irritated with the Australian.

‘Don’t worry,’ Tegan chuckled. ‘At least you won’t end up falling for me. You’re a woman of taste, after all.’

Nyssa stared at her for a moment, before Barbara raised her voice, requesting that everyone take their seats. As Nyssa sat down next to Tegan, she couldn’t help but let out a small sigh.

Of course Tegan wouldn’t see her in that way. Mel had clearly been mistaken. Nyssa was just a woman with a crush on a kind, sweet person who obviously didn’t see Nyssa in the same way. Granted, yes, Tegan did seem to think Nyssa was attractive, but that was purely from an objective standpoint. After all, gay women didn’t automatically fancy every attractive woman they met. Now, Nyssa didn’t think she was especially attractive, and -anyway- Nyssa clearly wasn’t Tegan’s type at all. Tegan would doubtless be attracted to someone who was cool, outdoorsy and really quick with a witty retort; someone she could banter with whilst surfing. Nyssa, on the other hand, was a somewhat-uptight and introverted city girl, who didn’t seem to go five minutes without lapsing into severe social awkwardness. She could barely stand on a surfboard, and went bright red if Tegan so much as made a mildly rude remark. It just wasn’t going to happen.

It wasn’t Tegan’s fault. Nyssa would just have to deal with her unreciprocated feelings. It was… better, this way, Nyssa told herself. Tegan would never know, and Nyssa would be able to let her feelings slowly subside, until she could happily have a platonic friendship with Tegan. Was that really so bad? It wasn’t as if an amazing friendship was something to be scoffed at.

As the meeting started, Nyssa ignored the sad thump of her heart, and tried to ignore how Tegan smelled of the ocean salt and how her easy smile made Nyssa’s stomach flip over.

This was going to be difficult.

~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading, everyone; hope you enjoyed the second chapter! I wasn't expecting it to be this long, but writing has a habit of running away with itself! Not sure when I'll update next, so stay tuned!

#'glad all over (cake by the ocean)'#doctor who fanfiction #nyssa/tegan #tegan/nyssa #nyssa x tegan #tegan x nyssa #nyssa #nyssa of traken #tegan jovanka #indestructible #heathrow scientific #tyssa #ace/mel #mel/ace #mel bush #ace mcshane #liz shaw

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