Gem knew she had to be careful; being in a band, even a small-time, just-getting-big one, meant that everything in her life had to be decently private from the start. The last thing she wanted was for someone she cared about to get pulled into the scene. Scott and Impulse had both done their best to sooth her worries, but even with Scott offering to go public with the “thing” he had with those guys on the second floor, she was still a little too worried.
Which is exactly the reason she and Pearl hadn’t gone on any true dates yet. The fame might be good for the business her girlfriend ran with her friends, but there was also every chance that said business could be put in trouble. Some wack-job who might be jealous that Pearl was at her side instead of them could mean threats or vandalism, and with how hard Gem knew her love had worked on the Mounders business, she couldn’t risk something like that.
So here Gem was now, pacing in her bedroom, trying to figure out a loophole when her beloved called her, interrupting her thought process with the twinkling ringtone she’d assigned for Pearl. Diving after the phone she’d set on her bed, she answered it with a big grin and her feet kicking in the air excitedly. “Hey, beautiful!”
“Hey, yourself,” Pearl teased, her adorable Australian accent sending waves of love through the phone’s speaker. “Listen, I had an idea.”
Gem nodded, fully knowing her beloved couldn’t see it. “What’s that?” she asked, ready to hang onto her every word.
There was a momentary pause, almost as if she was nervous to speak her idea, but then she finally rushed out, “I wanna take you to the movies!” There was a pause. “I mean, can I? I know you worry about the fame thing, but I think I have a way around it.”
Sitting up, Gem thought about this. She did really want to go on a date with her… “Well, I’m willing to try most anything with my girlfriend. So what’s your way around my fame?”
She could hear the smile through the phone grow as Pearl spoke. “Joel and Bdubs! Well, technically it was Joel’s idea first, but basically they would act as bodyguards while we watched the movie. They would sit a bit away from us, and just make sure nobody approached us.”
Gem thought this over. It sounded like it might work. If she did her hair differently and maybe wore sunglasses until they got into the theater, it could work. So she agreed to it, and set up the date.
This is how she found herself a block from the theater, holding Pearl’s hand. Joel stood casually behind them, while Bdubs stood in front like a gremlin, both shooting death glares at anyone that thought to stare at the girls too long. It was a pretty funny sight, and if Gem wasn’t as happy as she was, walking down the street with her girlfriend in hand, she would’ve been worried about them being too much and causing a scene.
The four of them were otherwise occupied in conversation on the walk, talking about their average day to day. At the theater, Gem hid slightly behind Joel and Pearl as her beloved bought the tickets and snacks using Gem’s card, hoping the theater attendant wouldn't recognize her or ask about her sunglasses. Before she knew it, though, the group was walking into the showroom and finding their seats just as the lights went dim.
There weren’t that many people in the theater, surprisingly, but Gem mentally mused that that could’ve been the time of day and the movie’s contents. She and Pearl had let Joel decide the time of day, and he happened to pick something around lunch time, which meant fewer patrons. That didn’t mean the room was empty, though, and someone sat only a few seats away from the girls.
As the girls sat down near the front, and the boys in the row behind them, Pearl reached over and took her girlfriend’s hand, flashing her an encouraging smile in the light given by the commercials and trailers. Feeling better, Gem returned the smile and squeezed Pearl’s hand in response.
As the commercials faded out and the movie began to start, Gem leaned into Pearl, wrapping her arm around her. Despite being easily scared by some styles of horror, Gem had picked out a scarier movie for the simple reason of having an excuse to hold Pearl even tighter in public. The fact that Pearl seemed to enjoy the spooky stuff a little more at times, meaning Gem would get to see her happy smile more, definitely didn’t help the popstar’s choice.
What she didn’t count on, however, was the movie being a little scarier than either of them had anticipated, and by the end they were both holding each other and peeking at the screen between hands covering their faces. But every second of it was worth it; they were together, and that was all that truly mattered in these moments.
As the lights came back on, Gem turned to look at their “bodyguards” to see how they fared. Joel looked fine, even though his hands did have a slight shake, but Bdubs looked like he’d seen his dead ancestors, and they told him they were disappointed. Needless to say, it didn’t look like he enjoyed the movie very much.
Amused, Pearl giggled. “What’s wrong, Bdubs? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
The shorter man immediately puffed up. “Hey, no!” he argued. “I just… uh… I ate too fast! Yeah!”
“Uh-huh, whatever you say, mate,” Pearl teased, taking Gem’s hand again and starting to walk out of the theater.
“Hey,” a voice called behind them. The girls turned around to see the young man from a few seats down staring at them excitedly. “Aren’t you Gem? Like the ‘and the Scotts’ girl?”
Gem’s heart dropped. This is exactly what she had feared would happen, who knows what’s going to happen now–
And suddenly Pearl’s arm was on her side, and she was being pulled very tight and protectively into her amazing girlfriend’s side. Everything almost immediately felt better, and she knew that she had been wrong to assume something horrible would happen. Pearl was strong and tough and stubborn; she would fight everything and still come home to her love with a smile at the end of the day.
“Hey, back off,” Joel told the man, stepping back with a warning glare. “It’s none of your business who she is.”
The man frowned, taking a step forward. “But I want an auto–”
But then, Bdubs climbed over the seats to stand aggressively in front of him like a chihuahua. “That’s not Gem! That’s uh… my sister! So back off, buddy, or I’ll give you a good one for bothering her on her date!” He puffed up even more and stepped right up to the guy, and there was an awkward and hesitant pause. After a moment, though, the guy turned around and started to gather his stuff.
With a quiet “that’s what I thought” muttered under her breath, Pearl carefully turned her and Gem back around and continued their walk out of the theater. Bdubs and Joel were practically growling behind them, but Gem felt safest right where she was with Pearl. As soon as they had left the building, they stopped walking and Gem was gently turned towards her.
“Are you alright, baby?” Pearl asked, taking her face in her hands.
Gem smiled and nodded, returning the gesture of affection. “I’ve never been better, my love. I’m taking you out to lunch tomorrow, this time without the bodyguards.”
Pearl gasped quietly, her eyes lighting up. “Wait, even after that asshole?”
Gem nodded more enthusiastically. “This only showed me that you can handle yourself just fine. I just know you would’ve told him to beat it in very impolite terms if the boys weren’t here, and not only is that hot, I felt so safe with you.”
She wasn’t sure if she was going to say more, but she wouldn’t have had the chance to anyways; she was pulled forward into a kiss, and she happily kissed her back, even if she was slightly surprised. Pearl pulled away.
“I’m so happy,” she said. “But I’m going to take you to lunch.”
Gem laughed and kissed her again. “Okay, if you insist.”
Taking her girlfriend’s hand, she presented the sidewalk with a slight bow. “Shall we head back to our humble abodes, my lady?” With quiet happy giggles, the couple set off for home, conversing in plans for future dates.