First Date
First Date -
It had been quite a number of years since Vaggie’s first day in Hell. Since the first day she and Charlie had met and became friends. And now Vaggie is paralyzed by that one question.
“I-I guess I gotta ask again, if you didn’t hear me,” the demonic princess had said, clearly nervous. “Would you like to go on a date with me?”
That’s when the pink x-eyed girl managed to get her voice back, albeit in stuttering. “Are you- I mean- with me!?”
“Yes, with you. You’re the one who’s been with me through thick and thin. And yeah, you might say that it hasn’t been much but… really…. you have already stuck with me through a lot. It means a lot to me. And… and I like you. I mean, I already liked you since the start but I guess that's more..."
Vaggie was stunned by this, unintentionally tuning out the other as she got lost in her head. She never would have thought this would happen. Maybe it didn’t come out of nowhere as it felt, though. Honestly, it’s been several years since they’ve known each other. To be exact, it’s been about six. And during all that time, Vaggie had grown to like Charlie more and more, with all the things they did together.
All the times when they were watching movies together and the hellish princess would break out into songs when there’s a musical put on. It was adorable to the pink x-eyed girl how much joy and enthusiasm the latter would put into singing. Additionally, it makes Vaggie impressed over how there’s a living Disney princess within close proximity to her. Really, it fills her up with a light-heartedness that she hadn’t felt in forever. It probably wouldn’t be an exaggeration, either, if she were to see she wouldn't be stable if she didn’t have this one source of light in a literal hell hole.
Of course, there was the time when the two went to Lu Lu World, where Charlie would be just as cheerful as she is most other places. Really, the child-like wonder and joy was contagious, even if Vaggie didn’t do much more than small smiles.
Then there was the time when the pink x-eyed girl had to do errands for herself for a day. It was a hard day, dealing with all the demons who had one reason or another to start trouble with her. Whether it was cutting in front of her in line or grabbing the thing she was going to get even when there’s others like it or… when Vaggie just tried to make things go right for her, it would result in a million things going wrong. It would also result in an encounter turning into a screaming match or even a downright hostile confrontation.
Really, the pink x-eyed girl had the idea that every time she goes out, it’s like that. Then she gets back to the guest house and saw that she forgot to restock on soap doing the errands. The thought of having to go through that shit again made soft whimpering groans come out.
Then Charlie came along and lend her own soap, so that the errand can be done another day. Then there were her attempts of making hot cocoa, insisting that she wanted to try making it the way that Vaggie would have liked it.
Honestly, it was the little things like that were the biggest factors in the pink x-eyed girl’s feelings growing and growing. And of course, there was just one thing that prevented any confessions. Her own fears of rejection and losing the first truly good friend that Vaggie’s ever had. In both her life and afterlife combined. When living in, again, a literal hellhole, an actual kind soul is the new gold.
Vaggie flashed back to the present and realized that she still needed to give an answer. “Well… I guess I can give it a try. Don’t get me wrong, this isn't a bad thing. Not at all! Just... not sure how it's gonna go, you know?"
Of course, that just brightened up Charlie’s face more than otherwise. “It’s no problem! I’ll take you out at six, from your room?"
"Yeah! Yeah, sure."
The next thing she knows, Vaggie’s in a long, flowing sky blue gown - one bought with Vaggie's own paycheck - and waiting on her bed. She was doing touch-ups all over herself. Not just the gown but also the darker blue strap sandal shoes and the hair styled in a half-up, half-down hairdo. It felt like there was so much that can go wrong just where the appearances are concerned.
Then there was a knock, jolting the pink x-eyed girl out of her anxious train of thought. Well, she quickly did the touch-ups again but then she hurried to the door, not wanting to keep the chipper blonde waiting.
Opening the door, Vaggie was treated to the sight of Charlie in a pastel pink tuxedo with a black shirt underneath the jacket and a pair of shiny red oxfords. The pink x-eyed girl widened her eye and blushed a soft one, just standing there and soaking the sight in. The hellborn princess, in turn, did the same and with a more obvious lovestruck grin.
The sinner of the two broke out of the trance first, which kind of took a while, and asked, “so, uh… I guess you’re ready to go? Because I am.”
Charlie blinked, realizing where she is and what she and Vaggie planned to do. Then she blushed harder, like she’s done something embarrassing. Which she probably did, given the staring. The place chosen for this date was Mercury’s, a pretty damn upscale restaurant in Pride. Probably only natural that the hellborn princess was more easily able to set things like this up. Although it made the sinner of the pair nervous.
Charlie had pushed Vaggie’s chair in, being nervous as she sat in her own chair. And once the former of them sat down, “I hope this place will suffice. I wasn’t sure if I really made a good enough choice.”
Like fuck this place isn’t good enough! If anything, I’m not good enough! Instead, “Oh, no, this is fine!”
"Really? It's not too shabby or anything like that? I really had no clue what would have been great."
That was said like chandeliers lit with colored hellfire, detailed paintings of demons conquering angels, and shimmering, red decal all over the walls wasn't extravagant. Maybe there's fancier but fucking still.
“Great! It's all great!” The pink x-eyed girl had collected herself when seeing that she made a little outburst. “I mean, this is great. Really.”
The two girls fell into silence, before and after the waiter had taken their orders. Normally, they would be fine falling into conversation about whatever. Except now, they’re on a date. And that fact is certainly taking affect on their perspective.
The moth demoness tried to brave it out and just break the ice. "So, have you found new stickers for scrapbooking? I think you were looking for new ones."
"Oh, yeah, I did. Really cute fly-pups."
There was that awkward quiet again, both Charlie and Vaggie back to their uncertainty of what to talk about. Although the latter of them didn’t want their outing to be like this the entire time. Especially not for the former, who’s bound to be so damn jittery and anxious about what to say or what to do.
“Hey, Charlie?”
The rosie-cheeked blonde straightened up. “Yes?”
“Look, we would be able to talk more smoothly before… tonight, right?
“Um, yeah, I think we would have, now that I think about it.”
“Maybe… we can just think about that? The part where we just… talk? Like we used to? Because I can’t think of anything else that can keep this from becoming the most awkward nights of our lives.”
The red-eyed girl was quiet for a moment. Then, “Well… I found out about this new movie. It’s all about these two imps who can turn into actual human girls! But only when they're asleep. It looked so cool, how the humans seemed to stick together! Oh, and there's the art! So pretty!"
Cue the growing smiles on both ladies’ faces. Then the next thing they knew, Charlie and Vaggie were chatting like they usually do. They felt like they were back to normal. Really, over the course of their date, they wondered in the back of their minds just what the big deal was before.
It continued throughout the night, until they had to leave for a movie. The pink x-eyed girl had gotten up while the hellborn princess was taking care of the bill. On the way out, though, the moth demoness had overheard some whispers and murmurs around her. Subtly looking around, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the other demons who were talking quietly amongst themselves. Those other demons were also staring with hardened, critical gazes. It was pretty obvious who’s the intended recipient of those gazes.
Vaggie just schooled her face into a slightly pissed one, given that it’s her default expression when not talking to Charlie to begin with. Although the pink x-eyed girl smiled a small one again when wrapped around her new girlfriend’s arms. And considering how well this night has actually went, it’s bound to continue being good.