Juice was in her studio when she heard a lot of movement above her. Normally this wouldn't annoy her as she prided herself on being patient, but she had been working on this one painting for just a little too long at this point and all the stomping from above wasn't helping.
She had grown accustomed to it, she had to when her neighbouring studio housed a dancer but it annoyed her to no extent.
She had never actually met the person who's studio is above hers, she just knew that the women was a semi successful dancer.
She had looked up the girl online and "semi successful" was a tiny bit of an understatement.
That was the first thing she noticed, the second was that this girl, apparently her stage name was Lemon, was quite stunning.
Everyone else in the building seemed to love her and went on about how she was so nice and talented beyond belief but Juice wasnt listening because she knew what kind of girl Lemon most likely was.
The type of girl who thinks shes entitled just because her daddy has a little money and thought by being a brat she'd get her way. Juice hated this type of girl because, well, she used to be one.
She had been an entitled, spoilt brat whose entire world felt like it ended the day daddy cut off her money.
Since then she had learnt and grown and she struck out on her own to give the painting thing a try but it took time to unlearn her entitlement.
So yeah she didn't like it when this type of girl was stomping around above her, presumably practising a dance and keeping her from her work.
It had been going on for about twenty minutes and Juice hadn't made it past the first few brush strokes when she threw her paint brush down, tied her hair into a messy bun, ripped her painting shirt off and marched upstairs.
'Honestly how does one person make so much noise doing freaking ballet' Juice thought as she climbed the stairs steadily.
And then there she was. In front of the door that was painted yellow.
'Damn,' thought Juice, 'this queen is definitely living up to her name so far.'
She knocked in the door and the crash that came right after that almost scared Juice herself.
"Ow ow ow. JUST A MINUTE!!"
Juice waited patiently for the woman to come to the door and was surprised to see a large bag of frozen peas in her hand.
"Um. Are you okay?"
Lemon looked at the girl in front of her before nodding in an almost trance-like way.
"Yeah. You knocking caught me off guard and being en pointe is already hard enough y'know?"
"Oh shit. I'm sorry."
Juice went to leave, totally having forgotten why she went up there when Lemon grabbed her arm.
"What exactly did you come up here for? I suspect that you didn't know I was gonna hurt myself."
"Oh. I um... I can't exactly remember."
"Well hi, I'm Lemon. I've seen you walking around but I've never actually talked to you. Juice right?"
"Uhhh... yeah. Yeah I'm Juice."
'Dammit. Why does she have to seem so nice,' thought Juice.
"Pardon?"
"Did I- did I say that out loud?"
Lemon giggled a tiny bit and nodded.
"I am soooo sor-"
"Its all good. You wouldn't be the first to assume I'm one of them types of girl."
Juice nodded slightly before making a joke.
"So you're saying your daddy doesn't have money?"
"Well... that'd be a bit hard considering I don't have a Dad. My mums are well off though."
Juice kind of looked like a fish in that moment because she was so stunned.
"Oh. Oh. Oh. Thats cool."
"Thats not gonna be a problem is it?" Lemon looked protective and slightly off put when she said that and Juice cringed at the idea someone would think she's homophobic.
"I'd hope not." And then she pointed at the bi pin on her shirt.
"Oh. Oh. Oh."
"Thats not gonna be a problem is it?" There was no maliciousness in Juice's voice when she asked that. If anything it came out more flirty than intended.
Lemon laughed and shook her head.
"I um... I have to get back to practice but it was nice meeting you Juice."
"Are you going to be able to since your literally holding a bag of frozen peas right now?"
"I'll be fine. See you around Juice."
Lemon shut the door and Juice heard her talking faintly again. Loud enough that Juice didn't have to be creepy to hear it but quietly enough that if Juice wasn't still by the door she wouldn't have heard it.
"Who was that?"
Juice wasn't aware there was someone else in the studio with Lemon and felt a tiny bit guilty for keeping them from doing work.
"Juice. She paints downstairs remember?"
Juice perks up at hearing her name although I guess that is what she was listening for.
"Juice? As in the one you're like obs-"
"Okay Brooke. Time to get back to practise. This choreo isn't going to learn its self."
Juice walked away thinking that was the end of the conversation but coincidently missed the actual main part of the conversation.
Inside of Lemon's studio, she was re adjusting her pointe shoes as Brooke (her dance partner) got some drinks out of the mini fridge they kept there.
"I'm just saying. You started renting this place what? 4 months ago? And unless you ain't telling me something, that was the first time you two have talked, and DESPITE that fact you are already like in love with her. Useless fucking lesbian."
Lemon gaped for all of two seconds before snapping back.
"Me? I'm the useless lesbian? Need I remind you that not only did you meet your ex wife at a strip club and were well aware you both liked each other but didn't tell each other. What was her name? Vanessa?"
Brooke rolled her eyes because her and Vanessa were still quite good friends and loved their son with all their hearts.
"And what about Plastique? You've known her for 3 or 4 years and from what I can remember you came to me after the 3rd time meeting her saying you were in live but despite that fact you didn't start dating for 2 years after that."
"Okay okay. So I'm hopeless as well. Damn you didn't need to call me out like that."
Lemon laughed and got up with her newly tightened pointe shoes.
"Besides I'm not in love with her. I just find her interesting."
Brooke went to object but Lemon turned on the music and they got back to work.
Juice honestly wasn't much better. She was half way down the stairs when she heard the soft thuds from the studio she was just at and remembered why she went up there in the first place.
Still, she didn't go back and she realised that it didn't really bother her as much as it previously had.
She got back to her studio and looked at her painting. It was of a woman with yellow/blonde hair and she was in a tutu.
When Juice realised that 'oh shit she had been painting Lemon this whole time without realising' she called Priyanka.
She knows Priyanka doesn't give the most serious advice, most of it rooted in comedy for the tall girl, but she was one hell of a listener when needed.
"Juicyyyyyy. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Priyanka answered creepy fast, like always.
"We have a situation Priya. Get to my studio as fast as possible." And Juice hung up.
Not even 10 minutes later Priyanka was walking into Juice's studio.
"So why am I here exactly?"
Juice lead her friend over to the painting and wordlessly pointed at it.
"I see a painting. Its quite beautiful if thats what you want to hear."
Juice sighed before pulling out her phone and searching up Lemon.
"I painted her!! How do you paint someone without realising?!"
"So you finally realised?"
Juice snapped her neck around to look at Priyabka and she reached out to grab her shoulders.
"YOU KNEW?!?!? AND DIDNT TELL ME?!?"
"Would you have believed me if I told you? And besides I had to do detective work to get to Lemon as a conclusion. You haven't done her face."
"SO?! I DONT KNOW MANY PEOPLE WITH YELLOW FUCKING HAIR YANKA!!"
"Okay. Let's calm down. We wouldn't want you to get all sour now would we?"
Juice narrows her eyes at her friend before almost growling.
"What's up Juice? Is the pretty dancer from the floor above tap dancing on your heart?"
"Priya. You're pushing it. Anyway, she doesn't do tap dancing. She does ballet."
"Fine. Is Lemon pirouetting all over your poor little heart?"
Juice rolled her eyes and accepted the fact the puns were going to go on like this.
"I think maybe she is..."
"Oh shit. I don't know why I'm shocked, I already knew this."
"Of course you did. What do I do Priya?"
Priyanka was quite for a few seconds ds thinking of a reply.
"I think... you strap on your dancing shoes and pirouette your way to your girl."
"Piroutte is the only ballet term you know isn't it?"
"Yup. Look Juicy boo, its obvious that whatever you just figured out is news to you, even if it isn't to everyone else, and I think you need to take your time to get to know her. Also maybe one day you can try her frui-"
"OKAY! OUT NOW!"
---
Two weeks had gone by and besides a smile exchanged if they pass each other on the stairs or a wave when Juice was moving the paintings she had finished, including the ballerina painting, they hadn't actually interacted.
Well until Juice heard a loud knock on her studio door.
When she opened the door she was almost shocked to see Lemon.
"Hi-"
"I need you to paint me."
Juice looked at Lemon like she was crazy.
"...What?"
"My dance coach said that I needed be able to express my art through things other than movement so words oooooor a painting."
"But... aren't you supposed to be doing it?"
"Meh. She never specified."
Juice rolled her eyes and giggled lightly.
"Fine. What exactly do you want this painting to look like?
"I want to be in the ballet tutu because I use it in most of my dances, people can't normally see it but I want my yellow hair incorporated somehow."
'Do I tell her that I already painted that or??' Juice thought.
"And obviously you're going to have to sit in on a couple of my rehearsals-"
"I'm in."
Lemon looked hopeful.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I can't dance for shit but I appreciate people who can."
Lemon smiled so brightly Juice thought she could have easily been blinded.
"Great. Well come watch me dance tomorrow. Brooke isn't gonna be there cause she had a thing with her son."
Juice blushed slightly at the thought of being alone with Lemon even thought that is literally what they are doing right now.
---
The next day Juice was buzzing with nerves. She had drawn and painted for probably hundreds of people at this point and yet she was getting nervous at the prospect of seeing Lemon dance.
Juice went to knock on the door when it opened.
"Oh hi. You must be Juice. I'm Brooke."
"I thought you weren't going to be here today. Shit sorry that came across as rude."
"Nah its okay. I left my sons blanket here last time I saw him and thought it was mighty time he got it back."
Just then an energetic boy, couldn't have been more the 5, came tumbling over to Brooke with Lemon hot on his tail.
The boy jumped into his mum's arm and Lemon froze when she saw Juice.
Juice felt a light poke on her cheek before it abruptly stops.
"Liam. You don't go poking strangers now do you?"
"Sorry mummy."
And the the little boy turned to Juice.
"Sorry Miss."
"Don't worry about it honey. I'm Juice its nice to meet you."
Liam giggled at the women while Lemon felt all warm at Juice's reaction.
"Thats an odd name."
Juice nodded along with Liam.
"Well my mum is an odd woman."
And she booped the young boys nose which he found hilarious.
"Okay well we have to go now. It was nice to meet you Juice."
"You too Brooke."
"Say bye bub-"
"GOODBYE AUNTIE LEMON!! BYE MISS JUICE MISS!!"
"Good bye little buddy."
Brooke and Liam walk away and just as they got to the stairs.
"Is that the lady you and Aunty Lemon were talking about?"
Juice glanced back at them and Brooke was already looking at Lemon.
Lemon just face palmed.
"So, this painting?" Asked Juice
'Oh thank you Lord Jesus,' Lemon thought when she realised Juice wasn't about to bring it up.
---
Juice had been coming to watch Lemon dance for a about a week before Lemon requested to see how the painting was going.
Now it might sound lazy but she was just planning on giving the already done one to her.
At first she had come up with tons of excuses and eventually she ran out so she had no choice but to show her.
"Okay so I will say its almost finished I just have to do the face okay?"
Lemon nodded excitedly. She couldn't wait to see the painting.
Juice went into her studio while Lemon was at the door. She went ot the far back as that was where she had had to move the painting back into her place.
"Well hey my little Juicy lady."
Juice swivelled round.
"Priya?? How did you get in here??"
"Girl you gave me a key. Literally when you started renting this place."
"Oh."
"So anyways, how are things going with you and Miss Citrus?"
Juice's eyes widened.
"Shhhhhhhhh."
"What why??"
"Juice are you okay?!? I keep hearing noises!)!"
Priyanka finally registered what was happened and couldn't quite keep the giggling at bay.
"I'm fine Lem!! Ill be out in two seconds!!"
Then quieter she whipered to Priyanka.
"You stay here and don't make a sound."
She stood up grabbed the painting and walked towards the door.
Lemon gasped when she saw it.
"Oh my God Juice. This is- this is amazing. You're an incredible artist."
Juice blushed about 5 shades darker than usual.
"Thanks Lem. So you like it?"
"Like it? I love it. There is part of me that just wants to keep it and not show anybody it ever. But I can't let an art piece this good go to waste."
"How about you go and give that in and i'll paint you a tiny piece for the studio."
"You'd do that for me?"
"Of course. You are my favourite customer."
Juice heard a little scoff from the back of the studio and prayed that Lemon didn't hear it.
"Thank you thank you thank you."
Juice was surprised by Lemon almost jumping into her arms for a hug.
Once she'd left Juice felt a hand on her shoulder.
Priyanka looked sympathetic for the situation but didn't exactly sound it.
"Whipped. You're totally whipped."
And Juice just groaned because she couldn't even deny it.
---
Despite technically not needing to anymore, Juice still went up and watched Lemon dance once or twice a week. She finally got to see Brooke dance as well which was magical.
All three of them actually became quite good friends over the next 5 or 6 months.
And true to her word Juice had painted Lemon something else. Actually she had made Lemon 7 or 8 paintings at this point.
On her way up for coffee with Lemon she heard an unfamiliar voice in the studio.
"Who painted these?"
Juice didn't know what they were looking at but had the common sense to realise it was probably one of her paintings.
"My friend Juice. You walked past her studio on the way up here."
"The one that was blaring Carly Rae Jepsen?"
"Thats the one."
"Why though?"
"Why what?" Knowing Lemon well enough at this point she could detect that same protectiveness in her voice from the first time they met.
"You know what I'm talking about. You're one of the best artists I know and I'm not talking about dance. These painting are really quite beautiful and whoever did them is one of the best artist I've ever seen but you could have very easily made your own paintings instead of having her do them."
"Kyneeeee, do I really have to say it?"
Juice had reached the door and even though she wanted to keep listening she knew she shouldn't so she knocked on the door.
"Hi my sweet little Lem."
"JUICYYYYY."
The hugged before hearing someone clear their throat.
"Rigth yeah. Juicy this is Kyne. Kyne this is Juice."
"...juice?"
Lemon crossed her arms in protective way.
"I'm literally called Lemon and you've never said anything about it."
"Yeah but I know your parents Sour."
"Dont call me Sour."
"Its okay. Juice is my nickname. My full name is Jessica but once my Dad was trying to ask if I wanted juice but he was super tired and it came out as Juicica so the nickname Juice stuck."
"I DIDNT KNOW YOU NAME WAS JESSICAAAAA!!"
"Yeah..."
"THATS SO CUTEEEE."
"Thanks Lem."
The two smiled at each other.
"Well I'm just gonna go..."
And Kyne slipped past the two girls to the door.
They didn't know what happened after that but they did hear Kyne mutter something about tension.
"So why'd you ask me to come up here?"
Suddenly Lemon looked nervous.
"IwantedtoaskifyoudliektocomwandseethepremiereofmeandBrookesshow."
"A little bit slower honey."
Lemon took a deep breathe.
"Would you please come to the premiere of me and Brooke's new show. You don't have to if you don't want to but I just wanted to ask."
"I'd love to Lemon. Of course I'd love that."
"Okay good cause I kind of already told my mums that you were going."
"...what?!?"
---
The night of the performance Juice and Lemon arrived together and immediately Lemon got pulled into a massive hug from two older women.
"Mum. Mother. I'm so happy to see you."
"You saw us two nights ago sweetheart."
They let go of eachother.
"This is Ju-"
"Hi I'm Jessica."
"Nice to meet you Jessica. I don't think Lemon has mentioned you before."
"Oh I have... this is Juice mum."
Juice looked at Lemon is disbelief.
"Oh Juice! Yeah Lemon talks about you all the time."
"Mummmmm"
"Oh hush now. Sweetie my name is Jan and this is my wife Jackie."
"Well its nice to meet you ma'am."
Jan laughed.
"Now none of that ma'am stuff. I told you my name for a reason."
"Of course ma'am- I mean of course Jan."
"MISS JUICE!!"
Juice turned to see two women who weren't Brooke and Liam.
She bent down to be at eye level.
"Hi little man. How are you?"
"I'm good. Miss Juice this is my mama and this is mummy's girlfriend plastique."
She glances up and waved at them.
"So this is your mama huh? Is she a good mama?"
"You bet your ass I am."
Juice laughed at the women.
"I'm Juice."
"I know. Liam wouldn't stop talking about you when he got back from Brooke's. You seemed to have made an impression on my boy there. I'm Vanessa by the way."
"Brookes ex?"
Juice got up to shake her hand then turned to the other women.
"So you must be Plastique?"
"Thats me!"
"Okay guys I have to go get changed for the performance but go get snacks and stuff and find your seats. Bye guys."
And with that Lemon ran off leaving Juice with 4 adults she doesn't know and a child that is clinging onto her leg.
"I hope you know that Lemon really likes you."
It took Juice a few seconds to realise that was directed at her.
"Pardon?"
"Its true. I'm not as close to her as everyone else but I've heard from Brooke that she is like obsessed with you." Juice stared at Plastique like she was crazy which made everyone laugh.
"Its true Miss Juice Miss. Mummy and Auntie Lemon were talking about you I front of me and she said that you were really pretty and really nice."
"Well shit. Did she really?"
"SHIT!"
Juice paled when she realised what she said and that that Liam had copied her. She turned to Vanessa to apologise.
"Shit I am so sorry. Its kinda something I can't help."
They all looked at her amused.
"Shit! I said it again! Shit! Fuck! YOU KNOW WHAT IM JUST GONNA STOP TALKING!"
They all laughed before assuring Juice that it was okay.
"Okay well we should go get our seats."
---
After the performance Juice was in tears. She had seen Brooke and Lemon practise this dance so many times and even though she had no right to she felt immensely proud of her friends.
The act had just finished when Juice tore from her seat towards the backstage. Nobody stopped her, including the security guards.
"LEMON!?"
"Juice??"
She turned a corner and saw Lemon in the hallway. Still in full make up and costume.
"Lemon!! That was so good!! So so good!!"
And before she could get any common sense she kissed her.
"Juice, I'm all sweaty."
"...don't... care"
So Lemon happily kissed back.
"Ughhh finally."
The two girls jumped apart at the sound of Brooke.
She was already out of her costume but still had her make up on and Liam was on her hip.
"MUMMY!! MUMMY!! MISS JUICE JUST KISSED AUNTIE LEMON!!"
"I saw bubs."
The two girls blushed at getting caught making out by a child.
"Does that mean Miss Juice is now my Auntie as well?"
All three women awed at the excitement in his voice at the prospect of Juice being his aunt.
"Can I tell you a secret bubs?"
Lemon and Juice went quiet as Brooke whispered that to her son.
"Always mummy."
Brooke glanced to the two girls.
"I think one day she just might be."
The two women start blushing even worse than before.
"BROOKE!!"