Work Text:
Isadora loved Farkle, that was a fact – a certainty that was a truth beyond any type of test or measure. She loved Farkle like some people love sunshine or fresh air. It was eternal, without end.
Another truth which stood indisputable was the fact that Isadora did not like sex.
The thought of all those bodily fluids on her skin was repulsive rather than arousing, and the idea of so much friction just seemed exhausting. She enjoyed the skin to skin contact of holding hands or resting her cheek on Farkle’s shoulder, but the first time they kissed, she pulled away in disgust and rushed to clean her tongue with antibacterial mouthwash.
Farkle, never one to push her or pressure her into doing anything that made her uncomfortable, accepted this aspect of their relationship much the same as he accepted any of her quirks – he shrugged and carried on filing this bit of information alongside the fact that she is blunt to a fault and that she finds Lucas attractive. It was just another part of her and he loved her.
So that is why, after three years of monogamous pair-bonding, they had never proceeded beyond light touching that made her feel warm inside, but left her none of the disgust that came from kissing…or other such activities.
She couldn’t help but find herself curious, though. As she and her friends grew older, she witnessed them coupling off. Like any good scientist, she watched her specimens as they paired off and broke apart, and paired off again. She watched as they flushed with hormones and struggled the keep their composure in public.
What finally brought her curiosity to a head, though, was the Halloween party that year. She and Farkle were hosting it at his house. It was a considered a small gathering compared to the larger parties that Farkle’s mother was prone to throwing. It consisted of just their core group and a few peripherals that had joined them during high school. Despite being small enough to be intimate, it was still large enough that it was easy for people to slip away into quiet corners for privacy.
There had been some alcohol at their party. Farkle was acting as bartender and was trying to keep track of how much his friends had consumed so as to avoid any cases of alcohol poisoning, and Isadora was left largely to her own devices which led her to wander.
She passed Riley who was sound asleep on the couch with a blanket lovingly draped over her. Isadora quickly compiled a list of likely suspects upon whom to attribute the blanket, but gave up when she realized the list would be far too long.
Pulling a small side table over, Isadora placed a large glass of water at Riley’s eye level for when she woke up. While Isadora wasn’t particularly concerned about the state of Riley’s hydration, she knew Farkle worried over his friends and worried over Riley in particular. As Isadora loved Farkle, it seemed logical to take steps to ease his mind.
Moving further through the house, she began checking bedrooms and dropping off water for the inhabitants. She left two glasses on the bedside table next to Yogi’s bed. Then, taking in the couple’s lack of clothes, tucked the blanket from their hips up higher on Darby’s chest to conceal her breasts. While they were lovely in form and shape, and certainly nothing to be self-conscious about, Isadora had a strange feeling that Darby would not have appreciated it if Lucas or Farkle had walked in on her uncovered.
Further through the darkened corridors, Isadora was mentally tallying their guests as she went until there were only two left.
All things considered, it took far too long to find Lucas and Maya. Isadora really should have considered the possibility that they didn’t want to be found. However, as she was looking, they were no more than a set of names in her head – part of a list that was at present incomplete.
Despite her best efforts, it was actually by pure chance that she stumbled upon them. Giving up on her search for the moment, she was happened to be on her way down to the main kitchen to get two more glasses of water for when she did eventually find her quarry. They were out of glasses in the upstairs kitchen, and given the fact that the main kitchen was rarely in use, she knew there would be extras in there.
Walking through the archway, she saw Maya first. Her costume had been a bright clashing of red and yellow. It was some kind of saloon gown that went to her ankles but left her chest pushed up and barely covered. It would be bordering on indecent if she hadn’t had a shawl around her shoulders for most of the evening.
The shawl was lying on the counter beside her as she leaned back against the wall, grasping at a cupboard beside her for purchase as though looking for something to ground her.
Her whole body was rocking in a disjointed rhythm while her other hand pulled desperately at her dress.
Later, Isadora would censure herself for not realizing there was another person under there when she first walked in. It was clear enough from the outline of the dress. In the moment though, she couldn’t take her eyes off Maya’s face.
Maya was just so lost in the moment. Her eyes were clenched shut, her face was a blend of red and white, while her breath heaved through propelling her body forward and back against the feelings rising through her.
A strangled moan filled the air and released Maya from the grip of her ecstasy. Without a world, she slumped bonelessly against the wall behind her. A satisfied little smile graced her lips before her sleepy eyes slowly opened.
Transfixed, all Isadora could think was ‘Beautiful’
The moment seemed to stretch for an eternity before Maya’s eyes registered Isadora. Then Maya’s peace turned to terror and her eyes filled with tears.
It was then that Isadora registered the other presence in the room, primarily because Maya was using a combination of smacking and kicking to get him out from under her skirt.
Lucas fled his sanctuary, landing a few feet away at the kitchen island and looking at Maya with hurt colouring his features. He followed Maya’s gaze to Isadora and then swore loudly…and uncharacteristically.
“Dora, Dora, please!” Maya begged, tears falling freely down her cheeks. Her body was overtaken by shaking once again, though this time in despair. “Dora, please, you can’t tell Riley!”
Lucas wasn’t looking at Isadora. Once he’d registered that she was here, his attention fixed itself on Maya and even Isadora could feel in her soul how much he wanted to put his arms around Maya and comfort her. He didn’t though, because as they both knew, she would only push him away.
“Dora, please!” Her desperation was reaching a fever pitch as she began to curl into herself, arms wrapping around her chest, knees pulling up - as though she could escape if only she could make herself small enough.
That shook Isadora out of her reflections, she couldn’t let her friend remain in so much pain. “Of course, I won’t” she said matter-of-factly. “I was just coming to get you glasses of water so as to avoid any potential hangover in the morning.” Walking past them, she reached into the cupboard (notably, the same one which Maya had been holding just a moment before) and took out two glasses. Handing one to each, she nodded with satisfaction. “As you are both here, I trust you can get your own water out of the fridge and I can now consider my duties done.” Nodding again, she made her way out of the room and left them both to their privacy.
Later, when she was cuddled up next to Farkle and just a moment away from sleep, she couldn’t help but ask. “Dearest…Lucas is in a relationship with Riley at the moment, right?” That had been her impression previously, but she’d been known to miss major changes before.
Farkle’s eyes darkened and he seemed to swallow passed a lump in this throat. “Yes” he said shortly, his grip around her shoulder tightening ever so slightly. “Yes, he is.”
Nodding, Isadora settled a little deeper into Farkle’s arm. He had long since given up on getting people to tell the truth.