"Hey, K, it's Victor, The teammate. Future teammate. Hey, when you meet me, tell me I can get drunk? 'cause I can and it's kind of awesome and we're going to throw Angel at a wall later. Also? Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies, and I'll quit singing now and ... bye. You have really pretty hair."
[From here:] "What's Stepford? And I already know you can pet cats and fight demons, why are you bragging to me about it? You're being very confusing."
Yeah, about the first thing Beau did after waking up and realizing she was back to being herself this morning was to grab her phone and send off a quick text message.
I'm good. It's cool. She'd been kind of jealous of Stephanie's gear though.
Not my favorite morning after. Not that she hadn't had more than a few morning-afters in that general vein, but. Glad you're you again. Was really not a fan of that other girl.
A dork who was following that up with a selfie that had some major bedhead happening (because she was, in fact, still in bed) and just generally had that 'just woke up' vibe. But she was grinning in it, too.
It took Beau a minute, but she managed to send back a selfie where she was sleepy-eyed and rumpled, but blowing a kiss at the camera. She hadn't gotten out of bed yet either, which was probably evident since in the background of the shot her hair was down and sort of spread out across her pillow.
You are so fucking cute. Why are you not in my bed right now? I would way rather wake up to that.
She knew perfectly well why, of course, but felt the need to voice her objection anyway.
Karolina was smiling like a smitten idiot at the photo, no lie. It took her a moment to even text back.
Because 6 didn't like Stephanie.
Why she thought Six spelled her name with just the number, even she couldn't explain. It had just felt like it? Everything about her had just been so... well-crafted? Like she wasn't entirely a person, but a concept.
You know, Beau was used to getting the wind knocked out of her. Enjoyed it, even, because few things got her adrenaline going like a good fight. That was basically how she felt right now: not so much with the blood and inevitable bruises, but the exact same high and pleasantly breathless feeling, otherwise.
So Karolina wasn't the only one looking at her phone and just grinning like a giant dork.
I don't think Stephanie disliked her? But she wasn't thinking about kissing her basically all the time either.
Which was . . . as close as she got to comfortably expressing her feelings, but she was trying.
Sure you don't want to come over and make sure I'm really me? There was still time to reconsider whether you really wanted to be stuck with this, Karolina.
Yeah, the next incoming message was an answering semi-sleepy selfie, only this time Beau had managed to capture the honestly kind of super schmoopy (well, for her) look on her face when she'd seen the one Karolina sent.
Look at all this smiling you made her do, Karolina. Her face wasn't used to all that.
It is pretty comfy. I could come over there instead.
She'd still have to get up to let you in, Beau. Come on now.
Karolina was saving that one. Well, obviously, she was saving all of Beau's photos but she was extra saving that one.
But, the door...
That was as close as she could get to a whine in writing. Because of course she would realize she'd still have to drag herself away from the supreme comfort of her bed to get the door.
It'll be totally fine!!!!!!!!!!!!! Beau would argue that all the exclamation points were just as called for. I've had a whole Kar-snuggles deprivation situation going on here for days now. It's getting dire.
That was unnecessarily dramatic, Beau. Also possibly the mushiest thing you had ever said in your life.
Are you going to give me a Look if I try and convince you I can do it?
Beau just sent her a sad, puppy-eyed selfie back. Or that was the intent, but it had a touch of looking slightly like she was uncomfortable and a little cranky about it, which probably muted the impact somewhat.
Okay, fiiiiiiine. But only because I like you that much.
Really, any other time she might have gone ahead and tried to climb the building anyway. Go figure, dating Karolina might have more success at teaching Beau to be at least a little bit patient than the monks had in all those months of trying and failing.
Aww, and now Karolina felt vaguely bad about... not signing off on dangerous stunts. It was a perfectly reasonable thing to feel bad about with her background, okay!
But we can tooootally see each other later today! You know, once this bed stops feeling like a magnet.
So much clinging. More than Beau would admit to, really, but the memory of Six walking away while looking so much like Karolina had managed to poke her squarely in her insecurities.
Guess I'll get my workout in before then. Kinda can't wait.
And in the meantime, Karolina would have at least one mid-pushup selfie coming to her.
Just outside Beau and Karolina's door on Christmas morning, they'd find a couple of packages addressed to them with Liam's neat handwriting on the tags, delivered thanks to the young woman who managed the Post Office.
For Karolina, several bags of candies, which maybe wasn't the most personal gift, but when he'd come across this particular variety he'd thought of her immediately.
Beau hadn't been sending pictures along with her texts home, mostly because the data connection was slow and it took forever and ate too much battery in the process. But several pictures of a little bird girl, sometimes playing with an orange tabby cat and -- somewhat more eyebrow raising -- sometimes waving around a small dagger, did come through at one point.
The attached message read: I know you said we had to stop adopting kids but LOOK.
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"Hey, K, it's Victor, The teammate. Future teammate. Hey, when you meet me, tell me I can get drunk? 'cause I can and it's kind of awesome and we're going to throw Angel at a wall later. Also? Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies, and I'll quit singing now and ... bye. You have really pretty hair."
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"Excuse me? I'd prefer that you not speculate about my position in my bed, if you don't mind."
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"What's Stepford? And I already know you can pet cats and fight demons, why are you bragging to me about it? You're being very confusing."
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So that sucked. You okay today?
She'd been worried. Shh.
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Six's choices in footwear were not Karolina's choices. At all.
But other than that I'm all good. You?
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Not my favorite morning after. Not that she hadn't had more than a few morning-afters in that general vein, but. Glad you're you again. Was really not a fan of that other girl.
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Yeah, no kidding, Kar.
Also I think you looked a little like one of my students? I like you better this way.
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I like you way more than her, just so you know. That just felt like something she had to point out.
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She was a dork.
A dork who was following that up with a selfie that had some major bedhead happening (because she was, in fact, still in bed) and just generally had that 'just woke up' vibe. But she was grinning in it, too.
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You are so fucking cute. Why are you not in my bed right now? I would way rather wake up to that.
She knew perfectly well why, of course, but felt the need to voice her objection anyway.
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Because 6 didn't like Stephanie.
Why she thought Six spelled her name with just the number, even she couldn't explain. It had just felt like it? Everything about her had just been so... well-crafted? Like she wasn't entirely a person, but a concept.
Anyway.
Not like I like you.
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So Karolina wasn't the only one looking at her phone and just grinning like a giant dork.
I don't think Stephanie disliked her? But she wasn't thinking about kissing her basically all the time either.
Which was . . . as close as she got to comfortably expressing her feelings, but she was trying.
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But that was easy to say, because she had the same face. Just with makeup that was waaay less bold. Also it was mostly a joke.
Wait, are you saying you think about kissing me all the time?
No, she'd definitely got that the first time. It just made her chest feel fluttery to repeat it.
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That had really bugged her, to be honest.
And yeah, I do. Among other things. You kind of take up a lot of room in my brain lately.
The upside of text messages: that couldn't come out sounding like an inadvertent complaint. Which it so definitely wasn't.
The downside was that Karolina couldn't see the way Beau was grinning while she typed that.
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Yeah? Hard same.
She was very much a product of her environment, sometimes.
I mean, you do too. In my brain.
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Sure you don't want to come over and make sure I'm really me? There was still time to reconsider whether you really wanted to be stuck with this, Karolina.
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That was followed up with another semi-sleepy selfie. You could definitely tell how comfy a bed it was. Look how content she looked!
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Look at all this smiling you made her do, Karolina. Her face wasn't used to all that.
It is pretty comfy. I could come over there instead.
She'd still have to get up to let you in, Beau. Come on now.
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But, the door...
That was as close as she could get to a whine in writing. Because of course she would realize she'd still have to drag herself away from the supreme comfort of her bed to get the door.
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I could go up the side of the building and come in the window instead?
. . . seriously, Beauregard? Seriously?
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All those As were called for. Because, no.
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That was unnecessarily dramatic, Beau. Also possibly the mushiest thing you had ever said in your life.
Are you going to give me a Look if I try and convince you I can do it?
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Okay, at least enough for her to okay the idea.
Suuuch a Look. You can't fly so there's nothing to help you if you fall!
Unlike some people.
Way too dangerous. Maybe you just have to wait for your snuggle fix. And everything else.
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Okay, fiiiiiiine. But only because I like you that much.
Really, any other time she might have gone ahead and tried to climb the building anyway. Go figure, dating Karolina might have more success at teaching Beau to be at least a little bit patient than the monks had in all those months of trying and failing.
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But we can tooootally see each other later today! You know, once this bed stops feeling like a magnet.
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Yes. Please. I missed you.
Being that up front about her feelings (and asking politely, to be honest) was hard, you know?
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I'll order lunch to your place? We can have a lunch date.
That'd probably stretch into a dinner date and whatever.
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Sounds dope. Let's do it.
Today was probably not going to be the day that it occurred to them that they didn't have to be all over each other all the time.
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See you then, babe. <3
No, today was probably for clinging.
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Guess I'll get my workout in before then. Kinda can't wait.
And in the meantime, Karolina would have at least one mid-pushup selfie coming to her.
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For Beau, a collapsible saber, similar to his own.
For Karolina, several bags of candies, which maybe wasn't the most personal gift, but when he'd come across this particular variety he'd thought of her immediately.
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The attached message read: I know you said we had to stop adopting kids but LOOK.
(P.S. I think we actually did adopt her.)
Wacky Phone Day!
"I'm flattered, but will have to pass, unfortunately. Happily married. But, uh, best of luck to you?"
Wacky phone day!
I just lied to someone who sent me puppies. I AM that lonely. Should I get a dog? They're basically traditional for firefighters, right?
This was accompanied by an image, and several question marks.