Blood Flower (girl x girl) [COMPLETE]

chapter 3: A Sprout

"I heard that the seafood pasta here is iconic! Have you heard about that too? Oh, and also their fries. People say that the seasoning on them is really unique, we should get some to try..."

Lara was doing her best to pay attention, but it was constantly being diverted by how close Vella was to her. She could smell her perfume: a very faint vanilla smell that was pleasing to the nose. Her long blond hair was also brushing against the officer's arm, which tickled slightly but was not something that she wanted to brush aside. Vella seemed like she was certainly no stranger to intimacy, and she also wasn't an amateur when it came to making hearts race.

"... So what would you like?"

Lara's blank eyes flickered up to Vella's excited ones. Her mouth opened, but her brain wasn't processing.

"Um."

Frantically, her eyes scanned the menu once more. She knew that Vella had very helpfully given her a bunch of recommendations in terms of what to eat, but to be honest, Lara hadn't listened to any of it. She flipped through the menu. Just pick something- anything- that isn't too posh or fancy.

"This."

"Signature seafood pasta? Oh my god, I was thinking of getting the same! Okay, I can help to order," Vella grinned, pressing the buzzer on the corner of the table to order.

Lara relaxed into the plush cushion of the booth as Vella ran back over to her side of the table. Damn. Any longer and her heart might combust. 

She watched her date as she ordered for the both of them. This girl was energetic as hell. She also seemed to speak exactly how she texted, and Lara couldn't help but to smile due to her infectious energy. This date was going surprisingly well.

Vella's hair shimmered in the soft orange light as she told the waiter what they wanted, the smile on her face still bright and radiant. Every time her smile widened, her eyes turned into beautiful crescents that only seemed to make the police officer even more flustered. There were dimples in her fluffy cheeks that only made Lara fall even harder for her. Ah. Someone save her, please, she was falling too quickly for this bubbly girl.

"How's work by the way? I know things must be tough right now, but I'm glad that you chose to see me even though you rarely have time to rest," Vella said.

"Well. It's going alright. Could be better, of course," Lara sighed, brushing her black hair out of her face.

"All because of the murderer, isn't it?" Vella commented, propping her head up on her hand while resting her elbow on the table. "How are you holding up?"

"I... I'm surviving, I guess. We all are doing our best to survive."

Lara forced a grimace as she tried to brush it off, her chest tightening as she thought about how tough work was at the moment. The higher-ups were constantly chasing them for answers, for leads to the murderer, but whoever this Duct Tape murderer was, they were truly too hard to catch. None of the police knew what to do, and the pressure from the public was growing stronger with each day. She let out a sigh. Work wasn't the best right now. And it probably won't be, until they either caught the Duct Tape Murderer or the people forgot about him- which was... unlikely.

"Survival, that's what it's all about, right?" Vella murmured, reaching out a comforting hand to touch her arm.

The officer's breath hitched as she looked into her deep eyes staring right back at her. Her hushed tone was so reassuring, like a warm blanket draped around her shoulders. Just for a little while, Lara did want to fully relax in this girl's presence. It had felt so long since someone had tried to care for her, or to ask her how she was doing... This night was long overdue. For the first time in a long time, Lara felt like she could finally take a deep breath. She wasn't panicking over how to talk to her supervisors or whether they had missed a small detail in their investigation. For now, she was a normal girl. On a date. With a pretty girl.

Vella's thumb rubbed slow gentle circles against Lara's arm. The officer could feel her muscles relax, oozing into this cosy atmosphere with her first date. It was almost like, with each rub, Lara's fatigue was also being rubbed away. She brushed her hair out of her face with her other hand meekly, a little embarrassed that their first date was involving Vella having to comfort her due to the stress from her job.

"We'll be okay. It's just a particularly tough period right now," Lara commented, shooting her a smile.

"So you are handling the Duct Tape Murderer? For real?" Vella questioned, tilting her head to the side quizzically. "Isn't it scary? It's been strange that there's been no kills for a month too, right?"

Lara shrugged just as the waiter approached their booth, two plates in hand. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw the food- oh, it smelled so good. The police officer had completely forgotten how hungry she was until the smell hit her. After many nights of instant noodles or take-out, this truly was a good treat for the night. Thanking the waiter, Lara waited until the waiter was out of sight before answering her date's question.

"It's... okay. Not too scary, just annoying because it's a tough one," Lara admitted with a sigh.

"They're hard to catch, isn't it?"

The police officer grimaced. It was. It most certainly was.

***

Written on: 18 Nov 2022, 19 Nov 2022

Edited: 28 Nov 2022