Work Text:
Silence hung in the air between the two of them, both completely temporal and utterly impossible to pierce, it was just supposed to be a casual hangout between. Sora had some time to kill before her next opera performance, and Texas had an hour before a meeting with Lavinia and Leon. How this ended up with Sora on top of her straddling her on Sora’s bed with a stern expression across her face was beyond Texas. Originally she just planned on giving Sora some Siracusan chocolates, and a small necklace as an apology for leaving without saying anything, and as a congratulations for her opera doing well but…
“Sora I…” She tries to speak out but stops herself. She's never been good with words, and for the first time since coming back to Siracusa Texas felt genuinely vulnerable, she can’t just solve this with her swords or by walking away, like so many other things in Siracusa nor would she want to. Her usually unwavering gaze avoided Sora’s eyes as the woman stared down at her.
“Before you finish what you're going to say, let me say something first. When you first ran, I was so scared I would never see you again that the person closest to me would just vanish out of my life forever,” Sora pauses and takes a deep breath. “We all knew that there was something in your past, but it was hard to believe till we actually saw you in Siracusa, and that just made me more worried you would choose the past over us, even if I would support you know matter what but it still hurt to think about,” Sora’s eyes misted over as she finished her explanation.
Texas takes a moment to gather herself for a reply her eyes darting around the room in the corner she can see the poster for Sora’s opera that croissant put up, underneath the poster was a table with a pizza box from last nights dinner that Exusiai brought back for them from this new place she heard of that turned out to be awful with some of the worst sauce she ever tasted. Her eyes finally looked into Sora's, remembering both the fear and joy of when she first saw Texas on that stage, the hope that was clear when Texas promised to wait for her. It reminded Texas of the first day they met that fateful night all those years ago.
“Sora I know I already said this but I’m sorry I ran off without telling you all or letting Emperor tell you,” Texas lets out a long drawn out sigh before continuing, “I just didn’t want you all to get hurt because of my past, but I should have known that keeping you out of it wouldn’t work.”
“Of course you’re important to me, and everyone else in Penguin Logistics we would never just let you face your past alone,” Sora’s expression softened. “If Exusiai or I vanished one night with only the Emperor saying we were on vacation you would come running after us wouldn’t you?”
“Of course you’re my home,” Texas sat in silence for a moment that felt both impossibly long, but also far shorter than it had any right to be.
“Exactly you idiota your home to me as well, and what a girl supposed to do if their home runs off?” Sora asks, already knowing the answer, her eyes still unwaveringly locked onto Texas's. It made the Lupo feel as if the other woman was looking past her eyes and into her soul.
“Siracusa is really rubbing off on you isn’t it?” Texas asks with a slight smile, Texas would have dreaded this sorta thing before, now she's just happy Sora found a place she liked to perform.
“This place does have its own unique charm to it in its own way,” Sora remarks, there was a lot she enjoyed about Siracusa especially its food and art but
“I also got you an apology gift. It's on the bedside table it was meant to be for after your opera but now is as good a time as any, I’d get it myself, but you're on top of me,” Texas tells her not that she minded her and Sora were best friends, so it's not the first time they were close like this. The overly soft bed under her also reminded Texas of the bed Sora had back in Lungmen.
“Sorry I had to make sure that you weren’t gonna run off again.” Sora replies with a slight giggle not bothering to move an inch off of her. “I promise I won’t, even if you decided to stay in Siracusa for your career I’ll stay with you,” Texas promises the implication hung heavy between both of them that despite how much Texas wanted to leave Siracusa to only come back if needed, that she was willing to stay for her.
“Don’t worry I won’t ask that from youI love the opera scene here, but I can’t imagine not living in Lungmen with you,” Sora softly replies she’s had this fantasy before, but never uttered thinking they would always be words left unsaid, just like her unspoken feelings, that maybe just maybe didn’t have to go unsaid.
“And Texas you can save the present till after my performance I have something to tell you after it as well, now I have to get going so I can get ready for my performance”, Sora tells her finally dismounting from Texas with a squeak of the mattress, offering a hand to the lupo woman. She’s kept these feelings that started, as a small puppy crush all those years ago when Texas saved her too slowly, and truly falling for her as their friendship grew deeper. She’d always been scared of what both acceptance or rejection of her feelings would cause for their friendship.
The meeting dragged on for Texas; it's not that she didn’t care about Nuova Volsinii becoming a proper city for the average Siracusa where they could live without fear of fights between the Familia. She would also gladly pick up a sword for that goal if they needed it, but when Laviana and Leon got into the details of aspects of it like the legal system she spaced out a bit.
“Texas are you okay, you seem a bit out of it,” Leon politely asks from across the table with documents strewn all over it.
“More than usual as well you usually at least try to look like your present for our meetings, is something on your mind?” Lavinia chimes in glancing up from the legal document she was reading.
“It's nothing just that I’m going to congratulate Sora on her performance after we’re done here, I’m just thinking about if the gift I got her is enough since it’s also an apology gift for running off,” Texas explains leaning back in her chair with a sigh taking out a box of Pocky from one of her pockets. That taste of highly processed sweet snacks always helped calm her nerves with how they always tasted the same.
“Let us see what you got her, we might be able to help,” Lavinia suggests putting her document down with a gentle thud.
Texas picked up the bag, and gingerly placed it on the table sliding it to the siblings making sure not to knock over all of their coffees.
Lavinia took out one of the boxes, examining it looking as serious as she did on the judge's bench that made Texas feel like she did something wrong just from the way she carried herself just from how the judge carried herself. “It’s a good brand that comes from a nice local place with a nice variety as well,” Lavinia nonchalantly says, putting down the box of chocolates she bought. Frankly Texas had no idea she just went with the same brand she bought chocolate bars from.
“Umm Texas about this necklace you got her, it's beautiful but don’t you think it might come off as a bit territorial?” Leon asks, holding up the small box to show her.
“Territorial why?”
Lavinia leans forward to get a good look at the necklace. “Texas it’s pretty close to your Familia's symbol,” She remarked like it should have been obvious.
“I just thought she would like it,” Texas answers honestly. She really didn’t think about it, just what looked nice, but the feeling that she did something wrong came back.
Lavinia a lets out a long deep sigh, and takes a sip of her coffee, “I’m sure she will, but you two must be pretty serious if you're comfortable giving her something like this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you two not dating?” Leon asks, just sounding more confused.
“No we’re just friends,” Texas replies, taking another
Pocky out of the box and biting off half of it in one go.
“Are you sure?I have very little experience when it comes to dating, it really does come off like you two are or if not that both of your feelings are heavier then both of you would admit,” Lavinia suggests. Texas will admit she thought about the two of them before, on some sleepless night back in Lungmen, but she was always quick to dismiss them as hopeless fantasies; her past was always too close, and she didn’t want to drag Sora into that. But now Sora has not only seen that past, but ran towards it when she had the chance to flee.
Texas didn’t know how long she was sitting there in silence till Lavinia spoke to her again. “It’s clear you have a lot to think about but let's just leave it there for now, did you not buy her flowers?” Lavinia asks, sounding genuinely shocked that she had to ask that, and quickly pulling out her phone.
“Am I supposed to?” Texas took out another Pocky before sliding it back in the box, she usually ate them to distract herself but she didn’t need that now.
“Typically if it's someone you're close to you're supposed to give them flowers after a performance it's tradition, wasn’t she an idol back in Lungmen what did you do for her there?” Leon asks slightly exasperated, taking a sip of his cappuccino after.
“Dinner was always her choice that evening, the boss would also cover it for her, and if she wanted to go out after I would always cover her drinks as well,” Texas takes another sip of her drink.
“Well you're lucky I know someone who owns a flower shop that's still open, she’ll have a bouquet of roses ready for you when you get there, but it's pretty far so you might want to leave now if you want to get to the opera house by the time her play is done I texted you where it is as well,” Lavinia tells her looking up from the phone she was just using.
Checking her phone Texas could see that far was a bit of understatement from Lavinia it was almost across the entire city and nowhere near the opera she would have to double back across the whole city as well, but Laviana was right she could make it in time. “Thanks you two, I’ll be off now,” Texas tells them, taking the paper bag she used to hold her other gifts from Lavinia.
Thankfully traffic wasn’t bad that night, and as her car flew through the moist Siracusan streets the dim headlights illuminating her path through the dark city streets because of the rain, and overcast that made the dark nights even darker. truly never stopped in the rainy season. It might be because of their conversation earlier today, but it reminded Texas of when she first started to really get to know Sora. When she first joined Penguin Logistics Sora would practise her songs or write lyrics late into the night, and Texas had sleeping issues so she tended to stay with her, she couldn’t really add anything to help but Sora said she just liked someone keeping her company. Till one day when Sora brought her a gift, a CD of songs sung by Sora to help people sleep that she's been using ever since, Texas would have still stayed up if Sora kept working so late, but thankfully she decided that she needed to start resting more as well.
“You the person that Lavinia ordered flowers for? The woman who ran the small quiet flower shop asked her as Texas walked through the door, the familiar jingle of a shop bell ringing out as she opened it.
“I am.”
“Here’s your flowers then ma’am,” The woman tells her, taking out an almost cartoonish massive bouquet of roses. “Must be a really special girl to give her this many roses,” She chimes in.
“She is, thank you,” Is all Texas replies as she hands the women a wad of bills that is probably a fair bit more than the flowers probably actually cost. “You can keep the change as well.” Texas was already cutting it close timewise to make it, and probably couldn’t wait for the Vulpo woman to count the change. She did end up making it a few minutes before Sora’s opera. Instead of going through the front door Texas decided to go through the back door, there were a couple people standing outside of the door but after realizing who she was and her connection to Sora they let her in pretty quickly.
As Sora’s play ended she finally truly looked into the crowd of people quickly spotting the slow glow of Exusiai’s halo, and right next to her Croissant was easy to spot as well, but Sora had to hold back a sigh as she couldn’t find Texas anywhere in the audience she knew the Lupo was busy with Lavinia and Leon to make sure there new city, but she at least wished Texas would be there for the end. Despite that momentary sadness she couldn’t help but being in a great mood, the joy from the rest of her cast was infectious. They were all so excited that this time the performance went off with any issues. The whole group was giddy as they reorganized to take a bow with Sora front and center till finally retreating back to their rooms. The first thing Sora did when she closed the door was throw off her shoes, and relax her shoulders, slumping against the door in exhaustion as much as she loved performing it exhausted her.
“Sora?” She hears a voice call out for her from the dressing room, hearing the voice almost made her scream till she recognized it, but the mirage around her ears and tail fell for a short time.
“You know you don’t have to keep that up around me, your ears are cute,” Texas tells her from the couch, a bag and a massive bouquet of roses by her side. Her hair and tail still looked wet from the rain.
Sora could feel a blush form on her cheeks “I know but I gotta be careful incase someone walks in,” Sora explains taking a seat next to her on the couch almost snuggling up to her, “And if I ever forget to turn it back on who knows what would happen since I don’t think everyone would take kindly to learning I wasn’t actually a Lupo.”
Barely audible but Sora could hear Texas’s breath hitch as she leaned into her. ”Yeah you're probably right, and it wouldn’t be good for your career here as well. Oh and I got you these,” Texas replies, handing her the bouquet of roses that was so big it covered her entire upper body.
“Thanks you shouldn’t have,” Sora politely tells her.
“No you deserve it. I wish I could have been here to watch you perform instead of being in that meeting. I also wanted to give you these,” Texas says, handing her a small box on top of a large but thin box. I want to apologies for leaving without telling anyone and scaring all of you. I should have known you could have handled Siracusa and my past in your own way… You mean a lot to me.” It might just have been that the massive amount of roses affected the lighting for her but she could have sworn she saw a ever so slight blush on the usually stoic Lupo.
Sora put down the roses on the coffee table, and took a look at the two books one had the logo, and name of a pretty popular chocolate shop she heard a few of her fellow actors rave about, while the other was clearly a jewelry box upon opening it she saw a pendent fairly similar to the one that was attached to Texas’s collar she was sure the other woman wasn’t thinking about that when she bought it she was never prone to being so sentimental, but Sora still appreciated how it felt to her.
“It’s beautiful Texas, could you put it on me?” Sora shyly asks, her face feeling even warmer as she hands the box back to Texas, faces away from Texas holding her hair up so she could easily drape the necklace around her neck. As she waited she could feel courage build up in herself. She was already thinking of confessing her feelings to Texas today but now felt as good a time as any.
Sora let out a long deep breath as she felt the cold silver against her chest. “Texas we’ll always be best friends right?” Sora asks, fear creeping into her voice knowing that she can’t back down from the path she’s going down.
“Of course, is everything alright something bothering you?” Texas asks as she fiddles with clasp on the necklace, clearly not used to having to handle the tiny buckles.
“Yes everything is fine, it's just that.” Sora takes a pregnant pause to thoughtfully consider what she was about to say, and how she would finally confess all those times she thought about how she would do it before couldn’t prepare her to actually doing it. She can hear Texas begin to speak up but as the Lupo does so, “Texas I’ve had a crush on you for the longest time please go out with me!” She says raising her voice more then she probably should have at that if anyone was outside of her dressing room they would have heard her. Sora didn’t notice but during this confession Texas deftly finished securing the clasp.
There was another long pause Sora could feel her anxiety build up thinking of all the ways Texas could both reject her and more importantly stop wanting to be around her even though the thought felt silly she couldn’t push it away. “Sora we both know I’m not the best at expressing my emotions, but I’ve been thinking about this a lot today ever since we talked on your bed so could you please turn around?” Texas asks, her voice far softer than usual. Sora quickly turned around pushing past her anxiety.
To her surprise as soon as she did so she felt a hand under her chin and Texas’s lips against hers in a shockingly passionate kiss, it was only ended by a familiar voice. “I dunno Exusiai we might wanna give em some time” The familiar twang of croissants voice rings out bringing her back to reality realizing that Texas also ended up on top of her. Almost immediately the door slammed back closed again not even giving them a chance to talk with their friend.
“How about we get dinner tomorrow just the two of us?” Texas asks slightly panting.