Chapter Text
Beatrice gets comfortable at her booth with Lilith opposite her at a local club after another long week at work at the cafe they own together. Business and life in general are good for Beatrice at the moment. It’s taken a few years, but she and Lilith have finally gotten their feet under them after leaving home to get away from both of their separate parents controlling grasps. Beatrice’s parents weren’t exactly thrilled when she told them she wanted to leave behind the opportunity to work for them and eventually take over the family business at Young Enterprises. But she was determined to forge her own path and live her own life away from the soulless world of her parents business empire. It would’ve been a very extravagant life with penthouse apartments and money to burn like it was nothing. But when she imagined the rest of her life working in that environment, she dreaded and quite frankly hated the idea. She only has one life to live, and she wants to live it on her own terms, not on her parents'.
For most of her life, she had no choice but to bend to her stiff upper-class parents demands of her. Be it school, qualifications, or even trying to make her not be who she is to conform to what they deemed acceptable, she had to follow their lead. Well, on the last one, she never dated a man and never would, no matter how many boys her mother pathetically tried to set her up with. But no matter that one act of defiance against them, that life felt like a world where she didn’t have choices, and now she has a life where every choice she makes is her own and no one else’s. Unless it involves the running of her cafe with Lilith, who has similar parents to herself.
Beatrice met Lilith in college, and they’ve been best friends ever since. Lilith can be a bit prickly at times, but she has a good heart underneath all the bravado, and Beatrice considers herself lucky to have a friend like her in her life. They understand each other, which makes for a good friendship and a good working relationship at their cafe, which they named Halo.
It’s only a quaint little place, but it’s there's, and she and Lilith love it. Which is all that matters at the end of the day. It provides them with a steady life with no drama and no controlling parents. Beatrice is completely free of them now, free to work, live, and love how she wants, and that’s all she’s ever wanted.
Beatrice has yet to find love though, but she’s had experiences with women and dated some, so she’s hopeful love will come eventually if she finds the right person one day. But even if it doesn't, she’s free to be herself, and that’s enough.
So all in all, she’s got a good, steady life with an openness within herself to allow for love, and that’s a pretty great place to be after years of repressiveness. So as Beatrice takes off her jacket and places it beside her, then takes a deep, contented breath with a smile on her lips to match, she really feels life is good.
"Okay, everyone, we’ve got our first performer on stage tonight.” The speaker at the far end of the room gets her attention, so she turns to the stage in slight confusion. She didn't know this club Lilith suggested had live performances. It’s not really her thing, but if Lilith wants to be here tonight, then so be it; she’s just glad to have a night out after a tiring work week.
Beatrice ignores most of the speaker's words as she rests her head back on the wall behind her, but she perks up a bit as she sees the performer is a short-haired, pretty brunette wearing a black t-shirt that says The OCS on it, which is the name of this bar, so she presumes she works here as a member of staff as well as being a performer.
“Hi everyone I’m Ava, and I’ll be singing for you tonight.” The newly named Ava, who seems a bit nervous, greets the crowd with a microphone as she sits at a piano.
Lilith arrives back with their drinks after going to the bar previously, but intrigued by the performance to come, Beatrice absentmindedly takes the drink, mouths a small thank you, then leans forward to rest her hand on her cheek, awaiting Ava’s performance.
Ava takes a deep breath, adjusts the microphone stand, and then begins to brush her fingers expertly over the keys of the piano as a track plays overhead.
“Woke up, still out of my head. Last night, who knows where I’ve been? Every day, the demons come back to call. Cheap whisky got me all numb. Regrets and burnt-out silhouettes It turns out it does me no good at all."
“She has a nice voice.” Lilith remarks opposite Beatrice, but Beatrice transfixed only hums back as Ava sings with passion on stage with her voice already drawing Beatrice in with the hidden pain within Ava’s voice coming through already.
“I’m broke; I’m hurt. I’ve lost my worth. Somewhere on the street, I’m tired; I’m used. My pride is bruised. But I’m still breathing.”
Ava sings the pre-chorus, setting up the chorus as if she means every word she sings, while Beatrice continues to watch, transfixed by the pure emotion in Ava’s voice.
“Loneliness can follow me; I’ll run. Fear will not give up until we’re done. God knows things could be better. Well, I’m trying to keep it together. I’m still waiting for a miracle to come. I’m waiting for a miracle to come.”
Ava animatedly sings the chorus into the microphone as all the pre-performance nerves fade as she gets lost in her words and the song.
“Sitting at this table for one cold sweat, no money left to pay the rent, I never thought I’d be living on my own. Love is gone, but I am still whole. Stronger than who I used to be. I’m still learning. I’ll be fine on my own.”
Beatrice smiles sadly as Ava finishes the second verse. Ava’s voice is filled with so much emotion and pain that it’s dragged Beatrice into the performance, and the woman singing it with ease.
“I’m broke; I’m hurt. I’ve lost my worth. Somewhere on the street, I’m tired; I’m used. My pride is bruised. But I’m still on my feet!”
Ava sets up the chorus one last time, with her voice increasing in passion and volume as she moves off her seat, seemingly completely forgetting the audience and Beatrice all exist; she’s just in her own world with the words and the song taking over her.
“Loneliness can follow me; I’ll run. Fear will not give up until we’re done. God knows things could be better. Well, I’m trying to keep it together. I’m still waiting for a miracle to come. I’m still waiting. I’m still waiting. I’m still waiting for a miracle to come."
The song ends much to Beatrice’s dismay, but Ava's looking to the ceiling with so much obvious pain in her eyes that it brings Beatrice back to the present moment, making her want to give the woman a hug.
"I knew you’d like this place, Bea.” Lilith teases across from her.
“That was beautifully sung, wasn’t it?”
"It was, but I’ve heard better; maybe you just like the performer more than the actual performance.”
Beatrice feels a burning in her cheeks of slight embarrassment for getting so lost in the woman's performance on stage, but she doesn’t deny Lilith’s teasingly toned words. Ava is very pretty; she can't help but notice as Ava thanks the audience, then leaves the stage to get back to work to a round of applause, which Ava smiles shyly at receiving.
“Why don’t you go ask her out?”
She spits her drink out in response to the idea of that. She only asks people out she definitely knows are gay, and the idea of putting herself out there like that isn’t something she’d usually entertain. She chokes a bit, then answers, “What if she’s not gay? And besides, how do I go up to her? Do I just say, Hey, you have an amazing voice, and you’re really pretty? Do you want to go out some time?"
"Firstly, we’ve talked about this; sometimes you’ve got to be brave, and secondly, what’s wrong with saying that? That sounds pretty good to me.” Lilith shrugs her shoulders as she finishes nonchalantly.
Lilith has always been more confident with dating and putting herself out there than Beatrice, but frustratingly, she’s right on this. She may as well try. Ava’s song was so raw and emotionally sung that it touched her slightly, plus she’s pretty, which is obviously a bonus. What’s the worst that could happen if she asked Ava out? Well, she’d rather not think about that, or she’ll lose any courage she has right now. So she takes a sip of the gin and tonic Lilith got for her, then replies as she steels herself. “You're right, Lil. I can do this.” She goes to get up as she spots Ava returning to the bar, then nervously asks Lilith for reassurance. “I can do this, right?”
"Go, Beatrice; she won’t bite, or maybe she will.” Lilith winks immediately, making Beatrice blush beet red. “Go.” Lilith rolls her eyes, then pushes her towards the bar.
She shakes herself as if to shake her nerves away, then speed walks to the bar before she chickens out.
Ava spots Beatrice approaching and instantly flashes her a smile. “What can I get you, miss?”
"Hi, I’m Beatrice.” She blurts out before she can stop herself.
"Uh, hello, Beatrice, what can I get you?” Ava chuckles slightly as she whips a towel over her shoulder.
“You have a nice voice.” She blurts out again. What a good start, she bemoans while swaying nervously slightly on the spot.
"Oh, thank you; that’s very nice of you to say.”
“I was wondering—I know this is rather forward, but would you like to go out some time?"
Ava darkens immediately, basically giving Beatrice the indication that she very much doesn’t like the idea of going out with a random customer.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have.”
“No, no, I’m flattered, but..." Ava sighs and looks at her kindly before she leans forward on the bar countertop, separating the two of them. “I don’t really date at all, to be honest.”
Beatrice, feeling slightly less nervous after Ava didn’t completely rebuke her, sits on a bar stool and asks, "So, is that a no?”
“Ummm.” Ava scans the club clearly, thinking, "I finish in 30 if you promise me you’re not a serial killer.”
“I’m not! I promise, just a cafe owner; no serial killers here.”
“Alright then, Beatrice, the cafe owner, 30 minutes; meet me back here, be there, or be square.” Ava points at Beatrice while flashing her a playful smile.
“Really?” She asks nervously
Ava lowers her hand, then tilts her head, innocence in her brown eyes. “Yeah? unless you’ve changed your mind.”
"No, no, definitely not. I’ll be here. So um…Great! see you then.” Beatrice sways a little bit again, now really not knowing what to do next.
She could go back to Lilith, but she sees Lil is chatting with a curly-haired woman, so it’s either be a third wheel for 30 minutes or stay here and get better acquainted with Ava, who Beatrice is still slightly shocked that she actually agreed to a date sometime, never mind in 30 minutes.
“Is it okay if I wait here?”
Ava turns away from dealing with a customer and smiles again at Beatrice. She hates it normally when Lilith is right, but she was brave as she told her to be, and it actually worked out. So she’s far from dissatisfied that her best friend is right this time. "Sure, if you’d like, but I’ll be pretty busy.”
“I don’t mind; I’ve got nowhere else to be.” Ava’s smile doesn’t leave her lips as Beatrice talks to her, which only endears the singer slash bartender to Beatrice even more by the second. That song she sang grabbed her attention, but looking into Ava’s eyes as Ava smiles back at her makes it even more evident that this is a person she would like to get to know.
There’s a shyness and a story behind this woman who sang that song so passionately that it seemed that the words were her own story—her own song rather than a cover, and hopefully she can learn more about that story. She’s not looking for a one-night stand or something; she’s had those, and they don’t leave her fulfilled. What she wants is a connection with someone, and she felt something when Ava sang. It felt like Ava was a kindred spirit, however naive that may sound. She felt it, so why not see if that hunch is correct?
—
A while later, after Lilith disappeared, presumably with that short, curly-haired girl she was obviously flirting with, someone gently taps on her shoulder, making Beatrice turn to see who it is, which is quickly revealed to her to be Ava after she went to get her coat and belongings after her shift ended.
Again, Ava smiles at her. She has a very nice smile; it’s so genuine and warm, while her eyes look so filled with kindness that Beatrice can’t help but smile back almost constantly when she sees Ava smile.
“So what’d you want to do?”
"We could go get some coffee, maybe?”
Ava raises her eyebrows, chuckling that nice chuckle of hers again. “Damn Beatrice, that’s forward of you.”
“What? No! I didn’t mean it like that. Oh crap, I only meant...” Beatrice panics.
“Beatrice, I’m just kidding." Ava winks, then practically bounces on the spot like an excitable bunny, clearly enjoying the fact that she's just given her a heart attack.
"Oh, okay, so it’s like that, is it?” Beatrice smirks.
Ava rolls her eyes playfully, then motions for them to go, “Come on, player, let’s go.”
And with that, Beatrice takes her queue to walk out with Ava to go on their unexpected impromptu date.