Who: Vanessa Cleveland and Yang Xiao Long What: Running into each other at a club When: Recently Where: Unnamed club and then leaving for Vanessa's Rating/Warnings: There's some drinking and an obnoxious dude but overall pretty tame Status: Complete when posted
Vanessa wasn’t sure exactly what had triggered it but she’d just decided one day that she was done with moping around over Penny leaving. It wasn’t like she hadn’t known that she was more emotionally invested than he was, no matter how much she’d tried to deny and hide the fact that she was. And he had just taken off before so she really shouldn’t have been surprised when he had again. She had just allowed herself to keep hoping that he’d come back but she was done with that. She needed to move on with her life.
And part of that for her was putting on her new mini and halter top and going out to one of the local clubs for the night. She might not be quite old enough to drink there but that was nothing a glass or two of wine before her Lyft arrived couldn’t fix. Which thanks to her friend and his company wasn’t a problem. Every month a package arrived at her house with new wines for her to try from all over the world, and because she hadn’t told him that Penny was gone there were normally some beers in the box too that she would put in her fridge until she was in the mood to give them a shot. They were generally not that bad.
She’d been on the dance floor for awhile, enjoying the attention from some of the other club goers before making her way to the bar to get a soda, leaning against it as she waited, watching the activity around her with a smile. She’d missed going out and while maybe it would have been more fun if she’d come with someone that night she was still having a good time and she wasn’t planning on leaving anytime soon so she was going to have a lot more fun tonight.
***
Clubbing didn’t always work out for Yang. She hated how very alone she felt; many nights she just wanted to curl up with a book and a certain someone she couldn’t even talk to no matter how badly she wanted to.
But she was lonely. So here she was, dancing in a crowd, wearing a low cut yellow shirt and short skirt, glowing like the sun she was named for. She walk-danced to the bar, leaning on it so that she nearly fell out of her shirt. The bartender’s eyes bulged out and she grinned. “A strawberry sunrise. And something for the pretty lady here.” She jerked her thumb at Vanessa.
***
Vanessa had noticed the other woman walking up towards the bar but hadn’t paid much attention to it outside of just there being a person heading her way. Or in her general way at least. She turned to look at her, taking a moment before placing her name although she recognized her face right away. She hadn’t seen her since December when they’d kissed at the skating rink (which she really had to admit was probably still the best bit of weirdness she’d been through since coming back) although they’d talked a few times over the Network in passing.
She almost laughed at the bartender’s reaction as she turned to pick up the soda that had been set behind her by another worker. “Actually a strawberry sunrise sounds good to me too. Thanks.” She waited until the man walked away, looking like he was trying not to walk too stiff as he went to make their drinks before turning back to the other young woman. “How’ve you been Yang? Haven’t bumped into you for a while.”
***
Yang grinned at her as she recognized her, turning around and leaning back against the bar. “Kind of been a super long time. Fancy meeting you here.”
She tilted her head. “Didn’t picture this for your scene.”
***
“I’ve never been here before actually - I was tired of staring at the walls of my house and thought a change of scene could do me some good.” And she’d never been here with Penny so extra bonus points that there wouldn’t be anything here to make her think of him while she was having fun. “What about you? You come here often?”
***
“Not too often,” Yang hedged, not wanting to air her dirty laundry. “A little more since a friend passed away. So I don’t have to be in my head too much.”
Yang gave her a smile, repressing her problems as she always did. Li, Blake, feeling like no one actually needed or wanted her around... “Change of scenery totally helps.”
She tilted her head. “....wanna dance?”
***
Vanessa didn’t know what possessed her but she reached out to touch Yang’s arm lightly. “I’m sorry to hear about your friend.” She said quietly, meaning it entirely but something told her not ask for any more information about it. If Yang wanted to talk about it she could but Vanessa wasn’t going to push. This wasn’t the right setting for any conversations and they didn’t know each other that well. Even considering the last time they’d run into each other.
The bartender brought them their drinks and walked away, clearly not wanting to be around the two of them any more than necessary right now and Vanessa barely kept from laughing over his still kind of obvious...discomfort. She lifted the alcoholic drink in Yang’s direction before taking a sip. “To changes of scenery helping and absolutely I want to dance with you.”
***
Yang just nodded, picking up her drink, toasting, and taking a sip of it. And then drinking about half of it in one go. She beamed, taking Vanessa’s hand and pulling her onto the dance floor. “When was the last time you went dancing?”
***
Vanessa had some trouble remembering the last time she’d gone dancing. It was before Presto had left she knew that much. “Months ago. I’m way overdue aren’t I?” Vanessa asked with a grin back at her as they moved to the dance floor and she drank from her glass. Not downing as much of it in one go as Yang had but she didn’t want to get drunk just yet.
***
“Yeah lady, you’re way overdue.” Yang slipped her left arm around Vanessa’s waist, moving her body to the music. “Lets burn the place up!”
Yang could play the party girl. She had in the past, even if that wasn’t as much her as she led people to believe. It was better than wallowing in depression, at least.
***
Vanessa moved closer to Yang as they started dancing, forcing herself to forget about the eyes on them as she let herself get lost in the music. This was her comfort zone - music. Here and in the dreams she was drawn to it thanks to her Dad. And with a friend right here it was easy to just give in to everything she felt swirling around her. Swirling through her. And not worry about losing control of her powers. Not worry about her molecules separating and causing her to float away. Her hands found their way to Yang’s shoulders, resting there lightly as the music changed. One song bleeding into the next. She felt a hand brush over her ass, turning to see who it was and shooting them a glare before turning back to Yang and giving her an almost amused look as she leaned in. “Why is it that two women dancing together makes guys think that they’re just dying to be touched by them?” She asked, lips almost brushing her ear as she tried to be heard without shouting.
*** Yang shivered at the voice in her ear. The music made her blood pound and the closeness with Vanessa (or anyone at this point) made her feel alive again. She was a tactile person; just someone’s body heat was enough to make her feel content. “I’d break his hand but he’s not worth it.”
She flipped him off though, just to make sure he knew they weren’t interested.
***
Vanessa noticed the way Yang shivered against her but she didn’t say anything about it. She didn’t want to think about anything but having some well deserved fun and just seeing where the night led. As long as it didn’t lead to her going home with some random guy from the club. “He’d probably enjoy it.” Vanessa told her with a grin.
She leaned in to speak in her ear again. “How about a deal - I won’t let you go home with any random people if you don’t let me go home with any?” She’d been there done that and wasn’t looking to repeat it.
***
“Kinkshame,” Yang decided, running her hands up Vanessa’s back. She flashed a grin at her. “Okay, that’s a deal then.”
Guys wouldn’t be a problem for Yang, but she wasn’t sure if Vanessa was implying something or needed her to be the Mom Friend.
**
Vanessa gave a little shiver of her own at the feeling of Yang’s hands moving over her back. “Is it really kinkshaming if I meant it more in he’s a creepy perv way?” She asked with a grin of her own.
She wasn’t sure exactly which way she’d meant it - she just knew that she wasn’t sure she wanted to close herself off to any opportunities right now. Except for with any creeps. That was an opportunity she was always going to just say no too.
***
“In that case it’s just he’s an asshole and he really wouldn’t want to mess with me.” Yang’s first impulse with just about everyone was protection. Especially if they were potential friends or someone who might be easily taken advantage of. “But I think most people try to avoid it if two people look like they’re together.”
***
Vanessa tilted her head slightly as she looked Yang in the eye at that last comment, a mischevious smile on her face as she spoke. “Any thoughts of how we could convince people of that?”
***
Yang blinked at her, having not actually expected that answer and her face grew a little heated. “I.. uh. I mean.”
***
Vanessa gave her a smile. “Relax Yang. I was teasing. For the most part.” She told her friend quietly, rubbing her arm softly.
***
“Don’t tease a lesbian like that,” Yang said, sticking her tongue out, not sure if she was relieved or not. “Sometimes it’s like ‘is she flirting or being a friend’ and you just don’t know.”
***
Vanessa couldn’t help but smile when Yang stuck her tongue out at her. “...Is it ever both?” She asked after a moment.
***
“Yes, which makes it even worse.” Yang laughed. “There are two big jokes. The uhaul, and then the one where two lesbians have been dating for 4 years only for one of them to not realize it for three.”
***
“Will you believe me if I say sorry?” Vanessa asked her, tilting her head slightly and trying to ignore the curl that slid over her shoulder to brush close to Yang’s skin. “The uhaul joke?”
***
“Only if you’re not actually sorry.” Yang tucked some of Vanessa’s hair behind her ear. “It’s the one where the second date involves a uhaul because they move so fast.”
***
“I am though. Sorry.” Vanessa said, that little innocent gesture of Yang tucking her hair behind her ear touching some part of her. It was nice to be with somebody she was comfortable with. She laughed as Yang explained the uhaul joke to her. “I actually hadn’t heard that one before. But...I can say it’s not only true of lesbians.” She’d let her last guy move in the night they’d met. Even though she hadn’t really thought of it that way at the time. As him moving in.
***
There was an actually kind of depressing reason for the uhaul joke and lesbians. Considering, especially for older ones, how hard it was to find a relationship and then moving quickly because moving slowly could mean someone died, it made sense.
“True, sometimes you meet someone and your brain doesn’t listen to reason. Or is that your body.” Yang waggled her eyebrows.
***
Vanessa laughed again, shaking her head gently. “I think it’s both. The brain and the body. Damn hormones.” She said, putting a little mock venom into the last two words.
***
Yang grinned, but wondered if she’d somehow missed an opportunity here. Which played back into the joke about obliviousness. Because of course it did. Or maybe she was just lonely enough to read into things.
“They can mess you up almost as much as your heart can.”
***
Vanessa nodded her head in agreement. “I learned that lesson the hard way.” She said quietly, leaning her head forward slightly so that her face was hidden.
***
Unable to help herself, Yang pulled Vanessa closer, until their bodies were flush together. She touched her chin with two fingers of her left hand and tipped her face up. “I don’t regret loving the person I loved. And part of me always will love her even if she’ll never love me the way I wanted her to. But it still hurts, and it’ll always hurt until I can have her friendship back.”
She wanted Blake back in her life and didn’t care how or why. Blake back, and mentally healthy. “But I think your lesson might be a different one. Don’t let it keep you from giving your heart to others.”
***
Vanessa had a feeling that she could have broken loose pretty easily as Yang pulled her closer but she didn’t. She let her friend pull her in and gave her a sort of shaky smile as her face got tipped up. “I swear I didn’t mean to unload all my emotional crap on you when we started dancing together.” She said quietly. She still had a ways to go in getting over her past clearly. “Do you want to talk about her?”
***
“It’s not really my place to,” Yang said. Which was...frustrating at times, as it made it so hard for her to come to terms with it. “All I can really say is she’s going through some stuff and I’ll be there for her when she’s ready however she needs me to be.”
In the meantime, she kind of did want to go home with someone, for sex or cuddling or both, just to not feel alone. Just to feel wanted.
***
Vanessa nodded at that explanation and on impulse rested her head against Yang’s shoulder lightly. “Any chance you’d be willing to go somewhere else? I’m not really feeling like dancing anymore. But I think I might have been spending too much time not around friends lately. School doesn’t count.” She said, trying to make a joke.
***
“Yeah, lets bail this place, I think I’m at my limit” Yang said, licking her lips. Her hand slid down Vanessa’s back, resting at the small of her back. “Go somewhere less crowded.”
***
“I’ve got soda and snacks back at my house.” Vanessa suggested, trying to keep her tone neutral even as she realized that she’d just asked Yang to come home with her. She reached for her friends hand to lead her off the dance floor so that they wouldn’t get separated by accident. There was also wine and a few bottles of beer still in her fridge if either of them decided they wanted something stronger.