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quarterfromcanon · 5 years

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Heather & Valencia - Femslash February - Day 28 - Advice [3,834 words]

Heather’s eyebrows lifted but she held still when Valencia brushed back her curls and attached the earpiece. “Surveillance headsets again, huh? Doesn’t really say ‘small, intimate affair,’ does it?”

“Just because this is a vow renewal and not a wedding doesn’t mean I’m willing to stop being efficient and detail-oriented,” Valencia replied while pushing her corresponding receiver into place. “I have a reputation to uphold, even when the event is for someone I know. Especially then, so prospective clients will see that I maintain my standards at all times. Besides, Paula is one of our closest friends. I want this to be perfect for her.”

“Totally. She deserves it,” Heather concurred. “I’m down for pulling out all the stops. I just wanna check that you’re not making more stress for yourself when you don’t have to.”

“I think Paula and I have established a balanced arrangement.” Valencia nodded toward the mauve binder on the table. “Elegant but not elaborate. A touch of class, but still cute and fun.”

“Okay, if you say so. I know you’ve both put a lot of hours into brainstorming.”

“Yes, we have.” Valencia plucked up the mic with one hand. She caught the neckline of Heather’s shirt between the thumb and forefinger of the other.

“You know, the last time I helped you with one of these, you let me put the headset on myself,” Heather commented as Valencia made adjustments.

Valencia secured the speaker near Heather’s heart. “Last time, I wasn’t revisiting a familiar activity.” She lightly grazed one fingernail over the sensitive skin below the fabric before withdrawing both hands from Heather’s chest.

Heather held her gaze and smirked. “It’s a nice change, but I’m glad that suit has stayed the same.”

Valencia angled so the fitted pants could be admired in profile. She winked. “I thought you might like to see it again.”

“Solid guess.” Heather clipped Valencia’s microphone for her and smoothed the cloth around it.

“I haven’t used these in a while.” Valencia regarded the equipment with concern. “We’ll need to try them out.”

Heather rested her forehead against the hollow of Valencia’s throat and spoke in a hushed tone while she activated the nearby speaker. “Assistant Coordinator to Head Coordinator. Test -- one, two, three.”

Valencia rolled her eyes even as her fists disappeared in Heather’s hair. “You are the worst. I meant checking over distance. March it outside, wise-ass.”

Heather kissed Valencia’s nose before following orders. “I’m on it.”

She left through the back door and strode parallel to the house until she reached the edge of the property.

Valencia’s voice traveled over the comm. “Okay, that’s probably far enough. Can you hear me?”

Heather turned to peer into the distant window at Valencia, who was standing on tiptoe as she strained to keep sight of her girlfriend. “All clear,” Heather verified, “but there’s a tiny woman in black watching me from my kitchen. She’s either a lost stagehand or an easily distracted robber. I think I’m gonna have to investigate.”

Valencia’s tongue tucked into her cheek and her eyebrow arched. “Are you going to be like this all day?”

Heather tried to appear contrite, but she knew Valencia could detect the poorly-suppressed grin when she spoke. “Sorry. Serious now.”

“Mm-hmm.” Valencia crossed her arms, unconvinced. “I’m going to need your word of honor.”

Heather strolled back across the lawn. “Have you and Rebecca been watching period pieces again? Nobody in this era talks like that.”

“Somebody does now.” Their eyes met when Heather drew closer to the glass, and the slight edge in Valencia’s tone softened. “It’s just really important to me for everything to flow smoothly.”

Heather came back inside and crossed the floor. She wove her fingers between Valencia’s and clasped. “Like you said, everything’s under control. Plus I’ll help with whatever you need from me. Best behavior. I promise.”

Valencia freed one hand to access her mic. “Head Coordinator to Assistant Coordinator?”

Heather played along and did the same. “Yeah?”

“I'm thankful you agreed to be part of this. I know I get tightly-wound when I’m working.”

Heather’s eyes flicked appreciatively over Valencia’s pantsuit. “You can growl commands in my ear any day.”

Valencia blushed in spite of herself. She gave Heather a peck on the cheek. “Good to know.”

___

Valencia carefully slid the curler free from the cluster of auburn locks. She stood back to let Paula get a proper view of herself in the mirror. “There. All set.”

“You girls are gonna spoil me,” Paula declared while she turned her head from side to side. “I can’t remember the last time styling my hair didn’t involve trying to brush my teeth and yell to Tommy down the hall at the same time.”

Valencia conducted a final scan of her friend’s pale pink dress. “Well, today you won’t have to handle a thing except carrying that bouquet and reading your vows. Rebecca has your index cards.”

Paula caught Valencia’s palm as she smoothed her sleeve. “Thanks again for helping me make it all happen. I’ve actually had a lot of fun cooking up plans with you.”

Valencia beamed. “Me, too.”

Paula extended her other hand to reach for Heather. “And thank you for helping me do my makeup. You saved me from a dangerous combination of jitters and mascara.”

Heather ran her thumb over Paula’s knuckles with a small smile. “Anytime.”

“All right, come here. We’re doing a group hug.” Paula tugged them both toward her.

Heather’s and Valencia’s arms overlapped when they leaned into the embrace.

Valencia rested her chin on Paula’s shoulder. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

Paula tightened her grip affectionately. “Back at ya, honey.”

The door flew open and Rebecca bustled into the room. “Okay, Father Brah’s waiting in Hall A. Josh has the tech rigged and ready. I think we’ve g-- Ah! Perfect timing. Hold it right there. I’m coming in.”

The girls giggled and maintained the pose so Rebecca could throw her arms wide to envelop them all.

Valencia disengaged with obvious reluctance. She gave the hem of Heather’s blouse a tug to get her attention. “We’ve got a few last-minute concerns to take care of, but we’ll see you in there. Rebecca, you’ll hold down the fort?”

Rebecca saluted and replied in a voice that sounded like several British regions blended into one. “I won’t let you down, ma’am.”

Heather and Valencia stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind them. Valencia blinked rapidly as her mid-event agitation kicked back into gear. “She’s doing accents now.”

Heather’s lips turned up at the corner. “And you were worried about keeping me in line.”

They veered to the right and spotted Brendan with Tommy waiting outside the bathroom for Scott. Brendan fished something metallic out of his inside pocket. He turned it over between his fingers.

Valencia changed course and zipped past him, snatching the item out of his possession without breaking stride. Brendan jumped but did not fight the confiscation. The blazing look he received was enough to stop him in his tracks.

“Not on your mom’s special day,” Valencia snarled through gritted teeth.

“It’s a Swiss Army knife!” Brendan protested with his hands lifted in surrender. “I just needed the toothpick!”

Valencia shot him a parting skeptical glare and turned on her heel. “Tell it to the hand, Silas Botwin!” she called when she swept away.

Tommy offered a belated greeting. “Hi, Heather. Haven’t seen you since RenFaire. Cool necklace.”

Heather gave them a jokingly formal nod. “The Brothers Proctor. Yeah, um, thanks. I’ve gotta go before she finds out Brah’s going to rap about Jesus or something.”

Heather jogged to catch up with Valencia.

Brendan waited until she was out of earshot before he nudged Tommy. He mimicked his brother’s voice. “‘Cool necklace.’ Good going, Buttface. Real suave.”

Tommy narrowed his eyes. “Heh heh heh. That’s funny. You know what else would be funny? If I told Valencia about that Scottish knife in your sock.”

“It’s a sgian-dubh and it’s ceremonial - you know that - but fine, all right, point taken.”

The final preparations were made without further incident. Invitees from the law firm and warehouse settled in foldable chairs while Josh piped instrumentals through a strategically hidden sound system. Valencia’s attention was divided in at least half a dozen directions as the start time approached, verifying that all participants were following their cues, but Heather managed to guide her to a spot in one of the front two rows.

The next classical selection played. Entrances at either side of the hall swung wide. Darryl and Mrs. Hernandez held the doors to the left so Paula could step through them. Hank and Sal from the barbershop quartet cleared the way for Scott on the right. Brendan moved forward to extend an arm to his mother and Tommy escorted his dad. The spouses met in the middle of the room and their sons took seats nearby.

Valencia calmed somewhat now that the first phase was well underway. Her hand found Heather’s and rested on her knee. Father Brah said a few words about Paula and Scott, touching briefly on their history as parishioners and his increased familiarity with them through counseling. He led a short prayer - devoid of improvisation, much to Valencia’s and Heather’s relief - and then introduced the guest speaker: Rebecca.

She rose from her chair beside Valencia to stand before the temporary podium. Heather could see her hands trembling when she adjusted the microphone. Rebecca unfolded a piece of paper and smoothed it flat.

“Um, hi, everyone. I thought a lot about what I would say today. As all the people in this room already know, I’m Rebecca Bunch. But, to Paula, I’m Cookie. I call her Mama. Brendan and Tommy have actually been really cool about that, so, thank you both for letting me be an honorary member of your family.”

She found the boys in the front row and smiled. Tommy inclined his head. Brendan thumped a fist against his chest.

Rebecca laughed and continued. “In the time since she became my best friend, Paula has helped me learn so much about love. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of vampire romance novels and rom-coms from the last four decades, but the best way she has taught me true love is by example. Her heart is so full and so fierce that, when you have her in your corner, it's like no problem is truly insurmountable. I know Scott feels the same, and that’s a major part of what brings us here today. Scott and Paula got married a little shy of two decades ago, and they’ve experienced a ton of life events together -- good, bad, and everything in between. Some of the problems would have broken a weaker bond, but they are standing before us now stronger and more committed than ever. Their journey kind of rattled a revelation loose in my brain recently. This is the sort of thing that seems obvious in retrospect, but it’s hard to genuinely understand until you encounter it in real life. As much as I’ve always loved sweeping fictional romances, and I probably always will, love is a lot more than that first choice we see in stories. It’s the ongoing choices we make, day after day, to stick by each other through all the years that follow. Voluntarily Ever After. It’s saying, ‘I can get by on my own, but I will save room for you. When I face the highs and lows of this life, you’re who I want by my side.’ The new engraving on their wedding bands commemorates that lasting devotion. Paula, Scott, do you wanna tell everyone what’s written inside?”

Scott’s hands clutched Paula’s while he recited the first half of the inscription. “In any universe...”

Paula beamed tearfully and squeezed his palms. “... I’d pick you.”

Rebecca blinked to contain her emotions before turning back to the assembled guests. “To wrap this thing up, and in honor of a couple that is embracing something new built on an old foundation, I decided to share a traditional reading with a fresh twist. In keeping with my proclivity for fairy tales, this passage comes from one. My dearest friend deserves only the finest in the world, so I’ve chosen a quote from the most epic fairy tale of all time: the Bible. The beginning should ring a bell; after all, why veer from a classic? But I couldn’t resist making a few little personalized tweaks and, well, you’ll understand in just a sec.”

She flipped her paper and took a deep breath.

“‘Love is patient. Love is kind.’ It is being ready to do the work. It is passing through the Ring of Fire. It is heart-to-heart conversations over late night pie at your kitchen counter. It is somehow turning evening game shows and study sessions into couple bonding activities. Love is agreeing Thelma & Louise Brad Pitt is still the dreamiest Brad Pitt. It is making memories in moments big and small, whether it’s finally taking a vacation or playing board games around your dining room table at home. Love is finding your own path. When you travel that path, and find the one you love, you should hold on tight.”

Valencia’s fingertips curled against Heather’s hand. Heather returned the pressure and shifted across her seat until their sides touched. Though they kept their attention on Rebecca’s speech, both indulged in a private smile.

___

The ceremony was a vision of pastels and mood music, but the reception provided a burst of rich colors and myriad sounds. Rebecca tested pretzel flavors from her new shop in addition to the catered cuisine -- a table beside which Nathaniel lingered beyond plausible explanation given that he wasn’t even holding a plate. Darryl and Maya reenacted their viral dance from YouTube. Tim and Jim fenced with sword picks from the hors d'oeuvres platter.

Once everyone made their first trip through the buffet line, Josh turned down the current track from his set list for an announcement. “All right, party people, let’s make some noise for the West Brovinas!”

Paula stole a glance at each Gurl Group member in turn but politely set aside her cutlery to listen. The men assembled in front of her table to croon “Bright Was the Night.” Though being the center of attention was clearly not something Paula enjoyed, the visible displeasure faded over the course of the performance as she looked into Scott’s eyes. His sincerity was disarming. When the final note faded, he stepped forward with hat in hand. Scott bent low, lifted the boater to hide their faces, and spoke words only his wife could hear. Paula pulled him in for a kiss while onlookers clapped.

Heather witnessed the highlights of the evening, but following Valencia took up every spare second in between those moments. They made countless circuits around the rented space until she started to regret her choice of footwear. When cake was served, all that remained was general socializing and celebration. Heather used that opportunity to still Valencia’s frenetic pacing with a caress along the underside of her elbow.

“What is it? What’s wrong? Did I miss something?”

“Yeah, the part where you take a breath and have a good time with our friends.” Heather wrapped her arms around Valencia’s middle. “Babe, it’s almost the end of the night and you haven’t sat down once since we left the other hall. I don’t even know where our food is because we ate on-the-go and put it down somewhere.”

“If I don’t stay focused, nothing gets done,” Valencia said defensively. “That’s what being a party planner is. It’s like being a conductor or a director. I have to know how everything fits together and see it through from start to finish.”

“Which you’ve done, hella thoroughly, as always. There’s a gap in the schedule until cleanup. For the sake of our arches, can we just slide these shoes off and take an actual break?” Heather protruded her lower lip.

Valencia tried to glower, but it wouldn’t stick. “All right, but my shoes are staying on. I don’t think they mopped very well.”

Heather shook her head with a chuckle. “Close enough. So, are we gonna talk about the other reason your Boss Lady mode is cranked to eleven tonight?”

Valencia broke eye contact and stepped backward. “What do you mean?”

“This job is important because you care about the guests of honor, but you’ve also got something to prove.”

Heather studied Valencia’s features while the latter fidgeted.

“No more than usual.” Valencia feigned interest in a centerpiece.

“Bullshit.” Heather’s assertion was gentle, her stare unwavering. “This is your first time running the show on your own since Beth.”

Valencia glanced in Heather’s direction but could not lift her gaze. “It’s fine. I don’t need her.”

“No, you don’t,” Heather agreed, “but it’s understandable if something feels off and you’re nervous about the transition. You were together for, like, nine months. As partners in more than one sense of the word. Nobody’s expecting you to just bounce right back from it. Sure, you’ve moved on relationship-wise, but other pieces are still settling into place. You and I both know there are a bunch of little recoveries that come with separating your existence from someone who was part of it for that long.”

“It sucks.” Valencia stamped her foot. “I understand it’s my fault for mixing personal and professional, but I don’t want what happened to cost new business if clients don’t trust me to juggle responsibilities. You wouldn’t believe the competition out there or how fast they can spread any gossip that gives them an advantage. All it takes is a single seed of doubt.”

Heather held Valencia’s face between her palms. “You were always really good at this. That was true before, and I think it’s even more so now. Look around. Everything in here was all you. People are having an amazing time. That photographer’s getting kick-ass photos for your website. No one is going to dispute that you’ve got the necessary skill set. The only one left who needs to believe that is you.”

“Easier said than done.” Valencia sighed. “You know how my mind works. Even if strangers don’t say bad stuff about me, some part of me is convinced they will.”

Heather shrugged. “Then prove them wrong. The real voices and the ones you imagine. Also, in the meantime, go easy on yourself. The two of you had a rhythm. You just need a chance to get your groove back.”

Valencia’s mouth twisted. “How you would you advise I do that?”

Heather removed Valencia’s earpiece and mic, then her own, and pocketed them all. Valencia reached for the comms instinctively but let the theft go uncontested. “Maybe,” Heather posited, “what you need is to get your groove on.”

Valencia raised her eyebrows. “That’s your solution? ‘The Cha Cha Slide’ will cure my insecurities?” Her expression shifted and her head tilted to the side. “Wait, are you asking me to dance?”

“That pretty much sums it up, yeah.” Heather rocked back and forth on her feet. “Do you want to, or...?”

Valencia did not reply aloud. She simply led Heather by the hand toward the dance floor as a slow song began.

“Okay, I’m reading that as a ‘yes.’” Heather grinned playfully.

Valencia’s lips twitched and her wrists crossed behind Heather’s neck. “Just shut up and hold my hips.”

Heather complied with a laugh. She nuzzled Valencia’s hair and closed her eyes.

“It’s funny,” Valencia remarked, “but when you, Josh, and Scott were working on the music, I was pretty sure I heard that you get a rash from ‘all the Ed Sheeran flavor of shamelessly sugary crap.’”

“Oh, I do,” Heather insisted without missing a beat. “I’ll be covered in hives within the hour, so, let that be on your conscience.”

Valencia snorted. “It’s very romantic of you to endure a ballad-based allergy for me.”

“I know.”

Valencia winced and groaned. “I might reconsider your earlier suggestion about the shoes. These heels hurt like hell.” She leaned against Heather’s shoulders. “What are the odds of you carrying me to your car when all this is over?”

“Considering my back problems continue to exist? They aren’t in your favor. If you’re hurting that much, I’ll try because I love you; just know we might not get very far.”

They stopped swaying. Heather gulped.

“Wow,” Valencia murmured. “You said it. We haven’t... That was the first time.”

“Yeah.” Heather's eyes widened and her jaw clenched. “Shit.”

Valencia pulled away enough to see her. “Did you not mean it like that?”

“I meant it,” Heather confirmed, “but no pressure at all. That was super early. I won’t be pissed if you’re not there. We were literally talking about everything you’re dealing with, like, two minutes ago. It was just... a fact.” She lifted her shoulders helplessly.

Valencia coaxed Heather forward until their foreheads touched. She traced her thumbs over Heather’s cheekbones and along her jaw. “If you’re too fast, then so am I, because I’m completely in love with you.” Valencia exhaled shakily. “I’d argue that ‘early’ depends where you’re counting from, because we’ve already been there for each other through a lot. Will other people think it’s quick? Does it retroactively call my past two relationships into question because this one is so natural by comparison? Honestly, I’ve realized that I don’t give a damn. I spent enough time pretending to feel things when I didn’t or not feel them when I did, and I’m done. This is the truth and I’m not apologizing for it.”

Heather enfolded Valencia in her arms. They kissed through the end of the ballad but took no notice. Midway through the next song, they resumed dancing. Valencia’s cheek rested on Heather’s biceps while she observed their friends and the circular lights that intersected on the floor. Heather saw Maya at a table watching them, both hands over her heart and mouth forming what looked suspiciously like the word ‘goals.’ Heather’s shoulders shook at the exaggerated reaction but that did not prevent a pleased flush of heat from spreading down her back. She cradled her girlfriend closer and breathed in the smell of her perfume.

“You were right,” Valencia mumbled against her skin. “Dancing actually did make things better.”

Heather smiled. “I surprised even myself with that one.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell,” Valencia teased. She slid her index finger up to the tattoo of Wilbur the Robot and traced a heart over his chest. “I’m talking about my outlook too, though. At least for the moment, I’m feeling less overwhelmed. Carrying on with planning by myself isn’t a defeat; it’s a comeback.”

Heather brushed her lips over Valencia’s forehead. “I’m glad we agree.”

Valencia relaxed and heaved a contented sigh. “Whatever else happens from here, I’ll be able to face it. I have everything I need.”

#H+V FF #CEG Writing by Me #Helencia #Heather x Valencia #BRB GONNA DO A VICTORY LAP AROUND THE HOUSE #Oh my gosh #I MADE IT #Thank goodness #I set a goal for myself that I wanted to finally finish this within a month after the end of Femslash February & I *just* made the deadline #I'm planning on making a post later to kinda get out all my happy celebratory feels but for now in these tags all I can say is #AAAAAAAAAH #I'm so pleased I can sit back and see all 28 together in one place - COMPLETED.#BEST FEELING

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