Chapter Text
When she first let Hearts touch her, Polka was sure her legs were going to give out before the girl could even start.
Hearts is terrifying. She’s love unchained, unable to hold back and sincere to a fault. She says things and means them, eyes bright with anticipation when her compliments are well received by the others and unable to lie for the life of her. Hearts has no mask and no sense of self-preservation, and Polka thinks that’s the most insane way to be.
Twin tails and a pretty red dress, feminine and sweet. That’s how Hearts dressed up for their date, and Polka can’t stop staring at her when she reaches the dog statue where they planned to meet up.
“Hey!” Hearts sees Polka and her ears immediately perk up. She hops cutely towards her. “I got here a bit early, don’t worry about it.”
“I never worry about anything.” Polka starts with a joke because it’s casual and familiar, and because she’s going to have a stroke if she thinks too much about what she agreed to do today.
“Alright, sure.” Hearts rolls her eyes and immediately latches onto Polka’s arm. She’s warm. “I have you for three hours tops before you start freaking out, so let me enjoy it, missy.”
She’s so warm. And so right.
They know her so well.
Polka had picked light green pants and a white, frilly shirt today. She knew that her companion would attract attention with her gorgeous outfit and shiny disposition, so Polka chose something that wouldn’t stand out as much.
“Where are we going?” Polka asks.
“First, we’re going to eat a big, sweet crepe, then we’re going to explore some vintage clothing stores, and end the day at a rooftop with a selfie to register our successful date.” Hearts has everything planned to a T, but she talks so loudly.
“Be a little quieter, please.” Polka says, her index finger working on the spinner ring on her thumb. She side-eyes the people around them. Did they hear it, did they see, do they know? How does Polka and Hearts look to everyone else? Eyes, eyes, eyes on them, watching, judging—
“I will do no such thing, and I will kiss you in an alley later before I let you go.” Hearts interrupts her spiral with this ludicrous statement, and then Polka and this girl who looks exactly like her start walking among the crowd through busy streets on a Sunday.
Their first stop is genuinely nice. Polka does like crepes, and sitting under the shadow of a tree with strawberry cream on the teeth isn’t the worst thing in the world. She gets to be alone for a moment as Hearts gets her stupidly big order. Polka takes a deep breath. She can smell the freshly cut grass and it grounds her among the chatter of strangers echoing around her.
Hearts comes back with a smile and Polka mirrors the expression.
Stealing one strawberry from Hearts’ crepe, Polka scoots to the side to let the girl plop down next to her. “Give me more.”
“No, you have your own.” Hearts retorts.
“I already ate all my strawberries.”
“Sounds like a you problem!” With a pause, Hearts notices some cream on the corner on Polka’s mouth. “Stay still.”
She leans forward and captures it with her mouth, and Polka’s fingers squeeze her crepe until it’s leaking. She wants to flinch away, but she stays frozen instead as a small, warm tongue licks her clean.
When Hearts pulls back, Polka refuses to look at her.
“You said in an alley later.” Is all Polka can hiss through her teeth as she feels her heart tripping downstairs.
“I never said it would be the only kiss.” Hearts is so dangerous. She’s the self-esteem that ran away and the heart that never broke. “Your crepe tastes good!”
They go shopping afterwards. Hearts holds her hand this time and they converse about anything. She pulls topics out of her ass as she goes through multiple racks of outfits, and Polka enjoys ongoing conversations that loop in stupid ways. She can’t forget the kiss. Her mouth tastes of strawberries.
“I want to try this one.” Hearts picks a yellow dress and pulls Polka by the hand until they reach the fitting room. There is no one there to check who is coming in and out, so with a coy giggle, Hearts pulls Polka inside with her and closes the black curtain with ease.
“This is such a cliché.” Polka leans against the mirror, bracing herself for it, but Hearts simply turns her back to her and pulls her dress off.
“You think I’m that predictable?” Hearts breathes out in a laugh. She discards her dress, socks and underwear, completely naked, and turns back so Polka can see her. “Look at me.”
“There is nowhere else to look but at you.” Polka says that, eyes anywhere but on the naked woman in front of her. Hearts takes her by the jaw and turns her head forcefully until Polka is finally looking. “Fine! Geez, woman. Needy.”
“Do you think I’m pretty?” Hearts asks. Her eyes are so big and purple. Her heart pupils burn Polka’s soul, the usual mismatched tattoos of various card suits and X’s under her eyes replaced by nothing but a row of red hearts.
“You know the answer to that.” Polka grunts.
“Tell me anyway.”
“Yes.” Polka replies, because it’s not her. It’s Hearts, and Hearts is pretty.
The silence is cutting as Hearts debates if the answer is satisfying. She lets Polka off the hook because she doesn’t want to ruin their date, but she does pull her by the back of her neck and kisses her. Polka has to hold herself back from touching her all over. She feels Hearts pressing her chest against hers and it’s dizzying.
Pulling back, Hearts turns around again and tries on the dress she wanted. “Zip me up?”
Polka does, eyes unfocused on the task at hand, mind floating away with the taste of the second kiss of the day. She takes a good look at the back of Hearts’ head and neck because she could never stare at her own like this before. On impulse, Polka licks the sweat there before zipping the dress all the way up. Hearts squeals.
She looks over her shoulder with a grin. “Cheeky.”
“Yellow is not your color.” Polka replies and Hearts agrees.
They don’t buy anything and leave for the last spot of the day. When Hearts holds Polka’s hand and intertwine their fingers this time around, Polka is less self-conscious about it. Maybe her growing need is numbing herself to the paranoia of being caught.
The rooftop is beautiful and less crowded than the streets, and Polka breathes easily. She lets Hearts guide her towards the edge, and they lean against the glass to pose for a selfie.
“A moment to remember!” Hearts smiles and they make the same peace sign for the camera. They take a few more before a tiny line of people starts forming to take pictures at their spot too, and then they sit on one of the benches to watch the sunset.
Polka looks up at the sky and feels the wind in her hair.
“So?” Hearts asks by her side. When Polka looks at her, the girl has her eyes closed. “Wasn’t it fun?”
“I still don’t know why we couldn’t stay at home.” Polka gives her an honest answer. “Hiding and all that stuff is a chore.”
“But that’s the point,” Hearts smirks. “You like the thrill.”
Polka can’t counter that. She just wishes Hearts wouldn’t say it out loud. Some things are meant for the mind, only.
“The first time I kissed Lamy, we did it behind Shishiron’s back.” Polka speaks after a silent moment, secrets spilling on her lap as their day comes to an end. “I felt like shit afterwards, even though they both knew.”
“But then?” Hearts asks.
“But then…” Frowning, Polka tries to give her a satisfactory answer. “I don’t know.”
Crows sing in the distance of a confusing and tiring day, and Hearts finally opens her eyes again. She turns to face Polka, pupils as intense as the sun. There are people all around them. A family with a child are quite literally facing them on the bench across the courtyard. Staring. Eyes, eyes, eyes—
Hearts leans forward, mouth on Polka’s, who doesn’t pull back. It’s Lamy all over again, robbing her of her agency while giving her what she wants. Hearts licks her lower lip and bites it, too. Polka lets her.
When they pull back, they are both breathless. Polka doesn’t turn around to see if that family is still there.
“Give them a show, Omaru Polka,” Hearts whispers, still close. “It’s what you’re good at.”
Polka wants to apologize to the audience and bite on this girl’s neck all at once. She does neither.
Hearts finally gets up and stretches her muscles, a soft yawn leaving her lips. “Wah… What a nice day!” She offers a hand to Polka. “Let’s go home?”
Polka doesn’t take her hand.
She only touches her next when they lock the front door.