The Magpie Emporium, Monday [3/10]

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi was having a day. She wasn't in a bad mood, exactly, or down, or upset, but by the same token she wasn't in a good mood either. Instead she was just kind of slumped over the counter, chin resting on her hands, watching at Little Bot zipped around the floor of the shop, carefully circling the patch of sunlight Saffron was sprawled out in.

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[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph was also having a... well, it was October, and the 11th was approaching. Getting out of bed was a little harder and her usual restless energy seemed to have been taken down a notch, and it took a little extra conscious effort on her part to remember how to be a social human.

The fact that her mood was a neutral one was actually a huge improvement.

She was quiet when she came in with coffee and muffins, and just set them down on the counter within reach before leaning against the counter next to -- and sort of against -- Vi.

Companionable silence and all that.

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi reached for Steph's hand, content enough to just lean like that for a while.

"You ever want to do that?" She asked eventually, her voice low. "Just lie in a sunbeam."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph hesitated for the briefest of moments, then took her hand and squeezed it fiercely, lacing their fingers together.

Get it together, Gingrich, you're supposed to be kicking those shitty annual thoughts about being better off alone to the curb, remember?

She exhaled slowly before she replied.

"What, just chill, so to speak, and be comfy and not have to think or worry about anything? Yeah. All the time."

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi smiled at her and squeezed back, because she had no intention of letting Steph be alone.

"Well, yeah, all that, but also literally just lying in the sun, looks comfortable."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph was profoundly grateful for that, and it showed in her eyes as she smiled back at Vi.

"For a while, anyway," she agreed, and kept back a crack about sunburn because it would ruin the fun. "Damn. Kind of makes me miss the summer weird shit in the park, a little bit."

[giveittoyoursister]

"Which part, the weird shirts or the fact we kept ending up soaking wet," Vi asked, all innocence.

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph gave her a deadpan look.

"I promise you that the part where we spent the whole time hopelessly yearning is the part that I don't miss at all," she said.

It was just as well though, otherwise they'd have been completely useless to their teams all summer long instead of just partially useless.

"But shit like lying in the grass with you and holding your hand while we tried to do something totally goofy and weird? That was nice."

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi didn't miss that part either.

"Yeah, it was," she said with a goofy grin.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"We should do that again sometime," Steph said with a smile that still wasn't quite as bright as usual, but at least it didn't take visible effort. "Not ending up covered in grease or chocolate pudding. Just you and me and a patch of sunlit grass."

A beat.

"And a blanket, probably."

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi rubbed her thumb over Steph's. "We can take some food and make a day of it."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Sounds amazing," Steph decided, leaning a little more closely against her. "Saffron will think we're stealing her act, though."

As if they hadn't betrayed her enough.

[giveittoyoursister]

"I mean, that's because we are," Vi replied utterly unrepentant.

So much betrayal.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"We're not stealing her act, exactly," Steph argued, "we're taking a cue from her, because she gave us a good idea."

She said as if Saffron would ever willingly share anything with her.

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi grinned at her. "I don't think she's going to see it that way, but who am I to argue?"

Did you really want Steph to answer that, Vi?

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Only the human she loves most in the entire universe," Steph teased gently, squeezing her hand again. "And she can share that with me whether she likes it or not."

[giveittoyoursister]

"That's a weird coincidence," Vi said, squeezing back. "Because you're the human I love most." Well, one of two, but that was different.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Wow, funny how that works," Steph said. Please ignore the way her face lit up at hearing that -- it always did, of course, but this week it seemed to make a little bit more of a difference in her demeanor.

[giveittoyoursister]

Sorry, not sorry, Steph, but Vi was not going to ignore being able to put that expression on your face. "Yeah, funny," she said, leaning in for a kiss.

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph reached up to cup her cheek as she kissed Vi back.

"I know," she murmured against Vi's lips. "I'm fucking hilarious like that."

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi rested her forehead against Steph's. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Because I'm also very sneaky," Steph said lightly, running her thumb over Vi's cheekbone.

She sighed. "I hate this month, but you're making it easier. Thank you."

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi leant in against Steph's touch. "You're welcome,"she said, soft and sincere. "I'm here for you, even if all you need's a distraction."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"You are so much more than just a distraction," Steph murmured. She didn't pull away, happy to just stay close to Vi. "And I'm so fucking glad you're here."

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi slid her arm around Steph, leaning in to kiss her temple. "Me too."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"I'm sorry in advance for whatever kind of pain in the ass I end up being for the next few weeks," Steph said, burrowing in against her side. "There's a non-zero chance I may be kind of an asshole at some point but... please know that I'm trying."

[giveittoyoursister]

"I'll let you know if you're being to much of one," Vi said softly. "Because you're not getting rid of me that easily."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"And I don't want to," Steph said with a bit more force than she'd intended. "I want you in my life, for as long as you want to be. My rational brain knows that. My trauma brain doesn't always remember."

Not that she had any intention of letting it steer, but she couldn't rule it out.

[giveittoyoursister]

Not that Vi, who always went out of her way to avoid the trooper station, would know anything about trauma brain taking the wheel. Mostly because she didn't think in automobile metaphors.

"I'm gonna remember that and hold you to it."