Chapter Text
It was silent. Elizabeth had fallen asleep for a while. The trip was short but with all the little things and waiting for everyone to get there, it felt like she woke up from an eight hour slumber rather than a one hour flight. She then looked out the window, beautiful clouds covered what could be seen as a beautiful paradise filled with such a different vibe of what she was used to back in Great Exardia.
It was her first time in a while flying somewhere, but she decided after much consideration to go visit some of her girls, the closest one being the ancient automaton, Cecilia Immergreen, all the way from Immerheim.
This was also an excuse to go travel more as she’s always loved to. She obviously talked to Cecilia about this beforehand, and she’d be waiting for her at the airport.
The plane finally landed and everyone was hurrying to get their things, as she was on the window seat at the very back, she had to wait for some time. She took the opportunity to message Cecilia who answered quickly.
CECE!! I’ve landed! 🥳
Nice!!!! I’ll be waiting for you at the arrival zone. It’s so packed in here so maybe you won’t see me 😭
It’s alright , it’s not like there are a lot of beautiful white-green haired ladies waiting for me.
I mean if you put it like that… Then maybe you’ll find me instantly.
Mhm. I’ll meet you there, okay?~
She would be lying if she said she wasn’t excited to meet Cecilia, again. They did meet back in the Far East with the rest of Justice, but now it was a different feeling. They all have gotten closer with time. But especially Cecilia and Elizabeth who have partaken in some pretty long talks whenever they were drowning in work. They would call each other and sit in silence and finish their own things, sometimes distracting themselves when one (normally Cecilia) starts talking. But Elizabeth didn’t mind, after all, she said she “loved her yapping”: She treasured hearing Cecilia talk about whatever, she had some sort of charm that made you never want to stop listening to her
She got out of the plane after 20 minutes and headed towards the exit. She had only brought one suitcase with the essentials and also a little fanny pack with her cards, phone and such.
When she arrived at the exit she immediately made eye contact with green pearls that felt ever so familiar.
“Liz! Right here!” Cecilia waved and jumped excitedly. Elizabeth was in awe, Cecilia looked absolutely fabulous. She had such a comfy autumn outfit: a white shirt tucked into a pretty hazel square patterned skirt that went all the way down to her knees, all slightly covered by a light brown coat. Her curly white and green hair with her wind-up key sticking out of her head, the glasses that complemented those emeralds… She really couldn’t stop checking her out, her eyes flew from top to bottom repeatedly as if she was trying to tattoo this memory in her brain.
“Hello darling~ How’ve you been?” She nonchalantly pulled herself together, approached and quickly embraced the automaton. The scent of green tea spread throughout her whole body as if she herself bathed in it. Not that she was complaining, she may not like tea, but she definitely enjoys its fragrance, especially if it’s coming out of her favorite dolly.
“I’ve been good! How was the flight? Any trouble?” She asked. They began walking to the airport’s exit where they would take a cab, dropping them off near Cecilia’s house which was where she would be staying. Elizabeth suggested a hotel, but Cecilia insisted otherwise, and it was for the better, financially.
“It was an… alright flight. Back hurts like heck tho.” Cecilia giggled as she saw Elizabeth stretch her limbs and back while carrying her suitcase. Cecilia noticed and acted right away.
“Here, let me help you.” Cecilia grabbed the handle of the suitcase, letting Liz move more freely. She appreciated the gesture, and responded with a slight caress of her hair and a small thank you .
“So… what has my beloved green lady prepared?” Asked Elizabeth as they arrived at the place where the cab would take them. Cecilia raised her brow in a smug way.
“Well… As it’s only your first day here, we’ll go do something more tame.” Winked Cecilia. Then before Liz could ask further, the cab arrived. In an instant, Cecilia had put her luggage in the back and both jumped in the backseat. Compared to the plane, the car was way more comfortable. So much so that she began dozing off and as her head hung low she drifted to the side and unconsciously met Cecilia’s shoulder. The automaton sighed and carefully placed herself in a more cozy position.
Elizabeth had passed out for what felt like ages, but woke up to the soft yet cold earthenware hands of Cecilia passing through strands of her ruby-like hair. Even if she was awake, she wanted this moment to last forever, so she decided to keep cuddling up to Cecilia. It’s not everyday you get to have your beautiful genmate taking care of you.
Sadly, after a bit more time of enjoying the experience, the car stopped. And she felt a little push coming from the automaton, probably an indication that Elizabeth should wake up.
“Liz…” Her name so softly whispered, so loving. “Liz, wake up, we’re here…” She whispered once again, with the same tone. What was it that made her so keen on Cecilia saying her name? As she pretended to be asleep, she felt those cold hands sink towards her face, caressing her cheek. “Elizabeth.” Said the automaton firmly. Her eyes opened wide and saw Cecilia’s face that was only inches apart from hers. “Good morning Sneewittchen, we are here.”
They got out of the cab which Cecilia paid beforehand, and started to walk towards her house. Liz was still in a bit of a trance after that little nap. The slow yet intimate feeling of Cecilia’s hands rubbing on her scalp, her natural warmth, maybe it was due to her own but it still felt… lovely? Comforting? The prominent but faint smell of green tea made the experience even better, like she was inside a tea shop.
“Liz~ Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!” Cecilia had been calling out her name for a while. “Sorry, sorry, I guess I’m still pretty tired…” Elizabeth finally snapped out of it. Cecilia furrowed her brows. “When did you last go to sleep?” The sudden question took Liz a bit back, but when thinking about it, she actually didn’t know pretty well. She’d been quite busy with her own work.
“Umm…” Cecilia sighed. “I already told you. Rest is important, you need to take more breaks in between. Doing it all in one go isn’t as fast as it seems, and it certainly isn’t healthier.” Elizabeth lowered her head like a sad puppy, while she was the taller and older woman, it still felt like an adult scolding a child. “I know, I’m sorry… But now that I’m here, I can at least rest with you, right?” Elizabeth winked at Cecilia in a joking manner, she responded with a huff and formed a small grin on her face.
They reached Cecilia’s house at last. And as she took a step inside, the house was also filled with that characteristic tea shop smell that she took a liking to.
“Sit down and rest. I’ll leave your luggage in my room for now.” Cecilia grabbed the handle of the suitcase but was stopped by Elizabeth. “Cece, I am aware that I haven’t been the nicest to my sleeping schedule, but I can handle this myself, okay?” She grabbed her hand and caressed her fingers slowly. Cecilia sighed in defeat. “Okay, fine. But if you crash from exhaustion don’t come to me complaining.” Cecilia pouted, separated from Liz’s touch and headed towards the kitchen. “I’ll make you something to eat.”
Elizabeth went towards Cecilia’s room. It was situated in the upstairs area, besides a second bathroom and some kind of office quarters. Safe to say, having this big house only for yourself feels daunting to her. Never mind the actual money to keep living here.
She entered the chambers. Green walls, flower pots filled with flora, tea set on a table beside the bed, a whole table full of metal scrap and tools she uses to build things. She has shown her some of her creations, a little green buddy that looks like a toy but is quite useful to bring her things, and also a prototype of a mechanical bird made from scrap she named “Ototori”.
She left her luggage beside the bed, and proceeded to lay down. It’s not like she was going to fall asleep… again… It was pretty comfortable, all things considered. She opened up her suitcase and took out the important stuff, like hygiene products, her own pajamas, etc…
“Liz!” She heard in the distance, right on time as she finished organizing everything. She checked the clock, 2:30pm. Wasn’t that late, so she hurried downstairs and the smell of freshly made food coursed through her nostrils. She was presented with a mix of vegetables and two pieces of schnitzel.
“Oh wow, since when did we also have a masterchef in Justice?” She said in a teasing manner, but it seems like Cecilia didn’t mind being called that. She puffed her chest in pride. “I may hate cooking, but I’ll let you know, I’m a great chef myself!” Elizabeth giggled at the automaton’s antics as she sat down.
She took one bite of the schnitzel. The tender meat, the breading, it was amazing, almost like her tastebuds were jumping with joy, she didn’t realize she had been smiling widely for a while now until she saw Cecilia’s satisfied face, almost teasing.
“So~ How is it?” Asked Cecilia in that same smug tone she seems to pull whenever she’s right about something. Elizabeth got embarrassed at the thought of her silently devouring the plate, so she tried to counter it, failing, obviously. “I-It’s alright… You did a good job.” She said while avoiding eye contact, knowing she was as red as her hair. “I’m glad to hear that.” Cecilia let out a hearty laugh.
After lunch, Cecilia took all the crockery to the sink and with the help of Elizabeth who insisted on helping since Cecilia already made lunch, and she knew how much she disliked doing chores. She accepted so they could finish faster and rest together.
After working so hard, they both sat down on Cecilia’s couch. Elizabeth was going through Immerheim’s TV channels as Cecilia was on her phone. Liz couldn’t see exactly what she was looking at, but she was thoroughly searching for something. She didn’t pay much attention.
“Okay! We’ll leave at 9pm!” Suddenly Cecilia said.
“Where are we off to tonight, my dear automaton?”
“We’ll eat dinner in a restaurant I’ve always wanted to try, and then we can go to some local bars if you want.”
“Ooh, a cheeky little beer with my Cecilia? Will you finish them this time?” Asked Liz teasingly.
“Y-yes! I have built up my tolerance!” Cecilia pouted, garnering a giggle from the taller woman.
On their first trip to the Far East, whenever the Justice members went out to drink, Cecilia normally wouldn’t be able to finish her own beers, and she gave them to Liz. Overall, Elizabeth has a bigger tolerance than everyone in Justice, but that begs the question of, how does an automaton get drunk? And, who programmed her to actually get drunk? Truly a mystery, she herself doesn’t know. But she did get a glimpse of her drunk self on the trip, it was nothing out of the ordinary though.
As the day went on they caught up and were able to watch one of Liz’s favorite musicals. Cecilia didn’t understand much of the vocal techniques used but the story was engaging and the songs were greatly produced and so much fun. What she adored most was seeing Elizabeth’s eyes twinkle as she described a moment in the show, or talking about her favorite characters… It was endearing.
Cecilia, as an automaton, had a hard time adjusting to these modern times with things like emotions. So when she first joined Justice, she had to try and understand these feelings. As Elizabeth was also the second one to join Justice, she was the one she spent the most time with before the rest arrived. She was able to teach her, and thanks to that, they became fairly close themselves.
But recently, Cecilia had been feeling some sort of anxiety whenever she was talking to Liz. Her chest tightened, her key kept winding up whenever she thought about her and she sometimes stuttered and misspoke, but she felt euphoric. Why do all these emotions happen? Are they related in any sense? And now with her around, even though she tries to tough it up, it was a surreal feeling having her leader sleep on her shoulder, eat her cooking and clean with her.
The only person she talked about this odd fondness she had for the redhead was Raora.
“What if it’s love?” Cecilia flinched at the thought. “N-NO IT COULDN’T BE!” Or could it? Cecilia ruminated.
“Why do you say that? Have you ever fallen in love?” Raora teasingly asked. “N-no…” Cecilia sunk in her chair, as she heard the panther giggle. “Exactly!” Huffed the panther proudly.
“Well… how is it to fall in love?” Asked Cecilia. Raora hummed and stayed quiet, or so she thinks but her profile wasn’t lighting up.
“When I think about falling in love it’s mostly about the happiness I’d feel being with the one I love. But also the fear of messing up.” Raora’s voice switched to a more serious tone which made Cecilia sit upright. “Messing up… how?”
“Well it’s the usual… uneasiness? I think? It’s the insecurity of not knowing if you’re right about your decision, or if you should feel that way about someone. It’s weird, really.” Raora sounded unsure. If the only other person she could tell this information couldn’t even have a real answer, then who could?
“GAAAHH! Emotions are so complex. How do you deal with them all the time?” Cecilia scratched her head in frustration and then sunk back to her seat. The only thing she could hear from the other side was the panther’s lovely giggles.
“You’ll get used to it eventually. Don’t worry about that now. When the moment is due, you’ll realize.”
“I… love her?” Cecilia mumbled. “Come again?” Elizabeth was changing on the other side of the door. “AH! Nothing, nothing, just…” As Cecilia was racking her brain to try and think of an excuse, Elizabeth came out of the room. She was wearing a black turtleneck tucked inside her blue jeans and a black coat while also wearing black flat ankle boots and semi-rimless glasses that she identified as the ones she used to see, the whole outfit gave her an air of elegance and gentleness. Cecilia was now the one stunned. “Well? What do you think?” She gave her a 360 so she could see the full outfit from front to back, but all Cecilia could think was “cute…”
“Y-you look good.” The automaton quickly took off to the bathroom to hide the glowing blush she was emitting. “Cece?! Are you okay?” Elizabeth chased after her. “I-I’M FINE! I just need… something real quick… Wait for me at the entrance! I’ll be there in an instant!” Liz didn’t fight back and heard how she slowly walked away from the door.
Now that she has realized her feelings, the question was, how does she convey them? Did she need to tell her? Could she hide it forever? Would she regret it? Too many questions, too little time. Maybe tomorrow she could think it over, but for now she didn’t need that fogging up her mind. She slapped her cheeks in determination and went to see the red haired woman looking at her phone. As she heard the footsteps come closer she immediately turned her head and smiled tenderly.
“Are you fine, darling?” Now with her newfound feelings, hearing the words darling, love, or dear with her sultry yet sweet voice flustered her a bit, but she tried to fight against it.
“Better than ever. Shall we go, my queen?” She tried to counter her lovely words with her own, failing miserably for herself as such words were too embarrassing for her. “How does she say it so nonchalantly?!”.
— — —
They finally arrived at the restaurant. It was a nice 10 minute walk from Cecilia’s house so it wasn’t that far away. She really took in the night life. As winter approached, lights were soon being lit, and the cold breeze ran through the taller woman’s silky smooth red hair. On the other hand, the smaller woman was on her phone looking at the map so they wouldn't wander somewhere else.
As they waited in the queue, Elizabeth realized how packed the place was. “It does look like it’s very popular” she thought, but before she could say a word, they were next in line. Cecilia took over, Elizabeth listened carefully to her voice. When she finished, another waiter led them to their table.
“Your voice goes really deep when you speak in German, did you know?” Elizabeth said as she placed her coat on the top back of the chair.
“Does it? A lot of people tell me that as well, but I don’t hear it myself.” Cecilia answered, as she took out her phone to check out the QR code that took them to the web for the menu.
“I like it~” Elizabeth said teasingly as she caressed Cecilia’s porcelain hand. The automaton flinched hard enough to almost throw her phone in surprise. The other woman began cracking up, snorting in the middle of her fit. Cecilia couldn’t help but grow red and tell Elizabeth to keep quiet as she saw some other couples looking at them. “Sorry sorry.” She said as she was wiping away her tears from laughing.
“I’m never taking you out to dinner again.” Said the automaton with a pout on her face, garnering a strong reaction from her leader who began apologizing and whining. She really loved this silly side of hers. While she did have a cool aura whenever she worked or was streaming, her dorky side really tugged at her (non-existent) heart strings.
Elizabeth began checking the menu herself. The restaurant itself was of cuisine from Immerheim, so most of the stuff was of stuff she hadn’t seen before, but she was curious. She began asking Cecilia about different dishes and asking her opinion.
— —
“That was so good! I really like this place.” Said Elizabeth as she finished the last of her meal. Cecilia had finished earlier so she was resting while scrolling through her phone for a bit, but put it down really quickly. “I’m glad you liked it. Next time if the other girls ever decide to come here as well we can go again!” Suggested Cecilia, earning an approving snicker from the taller woman.
The automaton was the one to invite the red haired woman, so she went straight to pay. “So, how much was it?” Asked Elizabeth who was dusting off her coat. “I’m not telling you~” Said the white haired woman playfully. The Scarlet Queen whined and tried to snatch the ticket from the automaton’s hand. “I won’t let you see it because if I do you’ll feel bad enough and will want to pay for everything later. For now, let me treat you for once. For everything you’ve done for me.” While at first it sounded like she was scolding her, those last words made her heart flutter. Cecilia also registered what she was saying quite late, she didn’t try to take it back, it was the truth for what she knew, but she couldn’t deny that the atmosphere felt a bit more awkward that moment.
“Um. So where do you wanna go now?” Asked Elizabeth, breaking the ice. As the automaton was also wondering where to go, she looked at the clock. “ 22:35” It wasn’t that late.
“We can grab a beer nearby.” She answered while pointing towards the direction they came from. “It’s also close to my house, so if any of us get sick it’ll be easier for us.”
“You mean, if you get sick?” Elizabeth said mockingly. Cecilia furrowed her brows, making the red haired woman apologize immediately as she giggled their way through.
They sat inside so they wouldn’t need to deal with the wind. The walk was as short as Cece said, they did pass by this place when they went for dinner, but at the time it was way more crowded, now that time had passed it seems like the clientele had died down.
They both ordered a beer, and as they waited they chatted about work, streaming, Justice duties, etc… Mostly about the stuff they talked about while on call, but the feeling of talking while face to face was really exciting, and Elizabeth couldn’t express that enough. Last time they did this was with everyone else while on their trip to the Far East but now that was 7 months back which for them felt like an eternity and yesterday at the same time.
The beers arrived and Elizabeth was shocked by the size, they were massive. Before she could ask Cecilia if she had chosen the wrong size, she saw her starting to down the beverage. Liz took a little sip to get a taste of it. It was only a normal beer, but extremely huge for some reason.
“What~ Scared you won’t be able to finish that? Have we weakened Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame?” Hearing her full name come out of Cecilia’s mouth in that challenging tone truly made her lock in and start chugging down as well. Not fast enough to feel sick later but she was competitive enough to not lose against Cecilia after so much trash talk.
They kept chatting for a bit, and after a while, Elizabeth had finished her beer, and surprisingly, so did Cecilia. Although she could tell she was getting happier due to the alcohol.
“Want another one? I can take another one.” Cecilia asked, cheek glowing red. “Cecilia, are you feeling fine?” “Of course I am! Now let’s get another one!” And so she did. As they arrived Cecilia began chugging it down, while Liz slowly sipped hers while watching the automaton try to down that big glass.
As Elizabeth had finished her glass, she sighed as she saw that same proud automaton not being able to lift her head from the table.
“Do you want me to…?” “Please.” Liz laughed as she took Cecilia’s half drunk beer and quickly chugged it down so she could take Cecilia back home. She put her coat on and helped Cecilia get up and do the same.
As she could see how badly drunk she was, she locked arms with her so she wouldn’t wander off from her point of view. Cecilia herself wasn’t doing that great, she cuddled closer to the taller woman, which she reciprocated immediately. They walked a bit and could hear Cecilia mumbling something.
“Come again?” Asked Elizabeth as they reached the front door. Cecilia stumbled a little bit as Elizabeth let her go since she had the key. “You’re so nice Liz… You’re very pretty too…” The automaton slurred, but was hearable enough for the Scarlet Queen to decipher what she was trying to say. “You’re also nice Cece, and pretty, and cute.” She patted her head and noticed how Cecilia was warm. Her hand had gone down to the other woman’s cheek. Cecilia reciprocated the touch by grabbing the same hand and kissing it, making Liz flinch instantly.
“Cecilia, honey, you should open the door.” Elizabeth said as she tried to hide her own flustered self. “Mm? Ah… yeah you’re right.” They entered the house, switched on the lights and left their shoes on the shoe rack beside the entrance. “Let’s get you to your room.” She grabbed the automaton’s hand and headed together there.
They both sat on the automaton’s bed, Cecilia rested her head on Elizabeth’s shoulder. “Can you change yourself? Or do you need help?” Asked Elizabeth in concern. “I’m fine! I may be drunk but I’m not that useless.” “I didn’t say that, Cece.” The white haired woman stood up and grabbed her pajamas. “Well it certainly does look like that.” She started to undress but stopped as she heard a squeal from the other side of the bed.
“D-DON’T UNDRESS IN FRONT OF ME!” Liz covered her eyes with her hands. Cecilia saw her progressively glow with a red hue. “Cute…” She approached her, and forced her hands down. “It’s not something you haven’t seen before, don’t act embarrassed.” Elizabeth avoided eye contact. “I-I don’t understand. What do you-.” Cecilia had gotten closer, she could feel her breath run across her neck. Looks like she was the clingy type of drunk which was something she didn’t expect from Cecilia of all people, so she was really taken aback.
“...e you.” She mumbled again, Elizabeth was too focused on her thoughts she didn’t hear properly. “What did y-” “I love you.” She grabbed the red haired woman’s cheek with one hand and balanced herself on the bed with her free arm. She grew closer and closer, breath now tickling her lips. She closed her eyes and felt how those pretty artificial lips connected with hers, how the faint taste of beer plus the warmth of her porcelain lips embraced her own. Before she could appreciate the moment more, she felt the other’s cold hands slowly go underneath her shirt.
“Cece… no.” Said Elizabeth, breaking the kiss. She cupped the automaton’s cheek. “We shouldn’t.” She lightly pushed her away, not before giving her a kiss on the temple. “Let’s go to bed, okay?” She was intoxicated, Elizabeth didn’t want to feel like she took advantage of her in this state, it wasn’t the right thing, for now she gave her one last hug for the night.
“But you’re supposed to sleep here…” She said while cuddling up to Elizabeth’s neck, throwing light kisses on it. “Well, you need it more than me, honey.” Said Elizabeth giggling. She caressed the other’s hair slowly and lovingly until she felt like the other was dozing off. She left her on top of the bed carefully so as not to disturb her and went on her way to sleep downstairs.
As she closed the door, she felt how her heart was about to burst out of her chest. She held on for so long she felt like her entire body was on fire. She didn’t know if she should feel happy, excited or scared. Was it the alcohol that made her become like this? But most people say that drunk people are way more honest, so was she serious when she said she loved her? Did she mistake her for someone she actually loves? But she did recognize her before…
Only one thought remained in her mind the entire night. “I love you.”.