Welcome to Gaia! ::

The weekend, Talanah decided, couldn’t come quicker. With each passing day time seemed as if it was slowing down until it was a snail’s pace. By the time Friday came along, Tala had over thought everything and decided on nothing. Since talking to her sister about liking girls, and half admitting to liking a certain one, Tala had debated confront Evanon with her feelings. The oblivionite girl had turned into one of Tala’s closest friends, aside from Tanarah herself, and something about the potential of a confession scared her. Would she be alright with it? Hate it? Hate her? Tala wasn’t sure and that, in the end, is what scared her the most. She wasn’t ashamed of liking girls, that much she knew. It was just who she was and how she worked. She just did not want to lose a friend because of it.

Taking a deep breath, Tala smiled and waved to Eva as she moved to join her. Tana had already started home, leaving Tala to wait for their weekend guest. By the time the pair arrived at the house, dinner was already being prepared, with both her fathers working together in the kitchen. When her paper saw them, he turned and greeted her with a warm smile. “Hello sweetheart,” Cas said as Tala flushed and then he glanced to Eva. “Evening, Evanon” Eva gave a small nod and a quiet hello in response. “Dinner will be ready soon. We’ll call you two down when it’s ready.”

Tala grinned, took hold of Eva’s hand, and they moved off towards the stairs. In the time it took them to climb the stairs, Tala grew ever more aware of the heat building in her cheeks and the thud of her heart against her chest. She still hadn’t decided on if she would talk to Eva about her feelings, yet. Tala released Eva’s hands as they reached the top of the steps and she moved to open the door to her bedroom.

Tala froze as she went to step into the room. Though she shouldn’t be, Tala was surprised at finding her sister in their shared room. She had half expected Tana to be outside, on the beach, doing some kind of practices with her swords. Instead she was stretched out on her bed. Maybe this was a sign? Maybe she shouldn’t bring up her feelings that night. She, at least, didn’t want to do so in front of her sister and she couldn’t exactly ask her to leave either. Hiding a sigh, Tala stepped into the room and eyed her sister carefully. “You’re not practicing tonight?”

Talanah’s cheeks burned and she narrowed a glare at her sister’s retreating form. Could she have been anymore obvious? It was bad enough she was already nervous as all hell, Tana didn’t have to go and embarrass her like that. She only hoped that the actions had been quick enough that Evanon hadn’t noticed them. Tala would deal with her sister later. She rolled her eyes and glanced back to her guest. “Sorry about that. She’s so strange sometimes.”

Eva laughed and shook her head as she moved over to Tala’s bed. “It’s fine I like Tana. She’s funny.”

Tala frowned, a spike of jealousy spiraling through her without thought. She tamped it down, determined not to be jealous of her sister. There was no reason. Other than… Tala moved forward, sinking down to the edge of the mattress. “Eva…”

Eva’s easy smile faded into a frown as she eyed Tala, wondering if she had said something wrong. “What is it, Tala?”

“I…” The words lodged in her throat and she swallowed.

“What? C’mon, you’re worrying me, Tala.”

“I like you.”

Evanon blinked, a confused look on her face. “I like you too, Tala.”

Tala glanced up, brows pinched together, and shook her head. “No, not like that. I like you.”

“...oh. Oh!” Eva looked away, gaze flitting to the floor and her cheeks heating.

“Do you hate me now?” Tala braced herself for it — expected it.

“No.” Even glanced back up sheepishly. “I don’t hate you, Tala.”

Something inside her relaxed for a moment, thankful that her friend didn’t hate her at least. And then another thought occurred to her, and since she had nothing else to lose, Tala voiced it. “Have you ever kissed another girl?”

Eva blinked, slightly surprised at the question, though not overly so had it been just out of the blue. “No. Have you?”

“No.” Tala’s gaze darted away, the tips of her ears heating up along with the rest of her face.

Silence enveloped the room for a little bit while both girls sat, perched on the edge of the mattress. Until Eva finally spoke up again. “Want to...try?”

At first Tala was confused and told herself that she hadn’t heard Eva correctly. But then her friend was repeating herself and all Tala could do was nod a moment before Eva leaned in and her lashes flit shut. Tala panicked for a split second, unsure of what to do with her hands but felt as if her body would melt when Eva’s hand reached up cupped her face and all Tala could do was kiss back.

It took a moment for the sound of the door to register in Tala’s brain. In the span of the time the kiss started and that moment she had somehow ended up laying back against the bed and Eva half on top of her as they continued to kiss. When her father’s voice sounded, however, Tala’s cheeks flamed and the two girls jerked apart. “Daddy…!” She hissed the word out as she covered her face with her hands and groaned. Great, just great. When she heard a small giggle escape her friend, Tala frowned and peeked through her fingers. “S’not funny.”

“It is a little,” Eva said as she leaned back over to Tala and tugged her fingers away from her face. “C’mon, we don’t want dinner to get cold.” She gave Tala a quick peck before pulling away and pushing up off the mattress.

Tala’s mouth opened and closed, the words tumbling out a jumbled mess until she finally huffed, gave up and pushed herself up as well. The last thing she wanted to do was go downstairs and have to eat in front of her father. Tala rubbed at her face as she clenched her eyes shut and sighed. “Door was shut...could have knocked,” Tala mumbled as she followed after Eva.

Talanah huffed, narrowed gaze on her sister before moving past her and collapsing, face down, onto her bed. “I dun wanna talk about it.” Despite things going much more smoother than she had ever expected, the interruption from her father had been such horrible timing. And though Eva had brushed it off easily, Tala wasn’t doing so well at it. All she wanted to do was curl up on her bed and sleep. “Daddy caught us…” Her voice was muffled as she hid her face against her pillow.

“No…!” Tala said as she jerked up and threw her pillow at her sister. She sagged a bit, eyeing her carefully. “It was embarrassing. Who wants their first kiss to be interrupted by their father?” Tala huffed and flopped back down onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. “It was good, though.” She couldn’t help but let a grin curl up the corner of her lips.

Talanah pushed up onto her elbows, grinning at her sister. “I suppose you’re right.” She laughed, pausing in the middle at the tap to their door. When she saw her father, her grin faltered some and her cheeks flamed hot again. She sputtered and opened her mouth to object to her sister leaving but she was gone before Tala even had a chance to say anything. Frowning, she pushed herself fully up and sat cross legged on her bed.

“I...I was — am — embarrassed…” Tala said as she rubbed at her cheek, willing the heat out of it. “But...I’m not upset,” she said, finally, on a sigh. Tala glanced up towards her father. “We can talk if you want…”

Talanah blinked and glanced up at her father, brows pinched together. “You wanted to like girls…?” It seemed such a strange thing to think about, her father once not liking that he liked boys. She wrinkled her nose up and shrugged. “I’ve just...never thought about boys like that. And I figured since it was ok for you and papa to like each other...then it was alright for me to like girls…”

Tala gave her father a small smile at his wink. Though she hadn’t expected much different of a reaction out of him, it was still a relief to have talked about it and to have it out there now. She felt better, and not so embarrassed now. She moved to wrap her arms around him and hug him tight. “Thank you daddy.” She squeezed him and pulled back. “You’re the best.”