Work Text:
Jungle Pocket had frequently imagined what dating Agnes Tachyon would be like.
She‘d imagine possessively slinging an arm around Tachyon’s shoulders, like she belonged in Pokke’s hold. Imagined pinching Tachyon's chin between her fingers, tilting her head up before pulling her in for a kiss. Imagined dragging Tachyon into her lap to watch her blush as she pressed a kiss against her neck, just because she knows she’s ticklish there.
It was a satisfying image. An image Pokke had been trying to fulfill ever since the two had begun dating.
But quite frankly, neither of them behaved like they did in her imagination.
_____________________________________
“I need someone to drink this~!”
Pokke blinked as Tachyon slid into her side, plopping down on the battered old couch shoved in the corner of the storage-room/lab. In Tachyon’s hands was a suspiciously sparkly concoction, a long bendy straw sticking out pointing directly in Pokke’s direction.
It was just the two of them, so clearly the statement was aimed at her.
The vial was close to bubbling over, fizzing ominous in shades of yellow and green. Pokke could practically taste the acidic taste of vinegar in the air along with something far grosser.
No matter.
Pokke could act like Tachyon’s weird experiments didn’t phase her in the slightest. She’d rather be the one to indulge her girlfriend anyway! To be the reliable girlfriend who could take whatever insanity her partner threw at her. She should be the one to bring Tachyon such excitement over her freaky experiments anyway. That’d probably be such a turn on! Or- green flag? Whatever. Tachyon would be into it. She’d probably thank Pokke and swoon at what a non chalant, cool girlfriend she had…
“I mean-” Pokke began, voice cracking into something giddy and awkward- not at all what she had intended. “If you, uh, need me to help with your experiment, I could. Y’know. To be a good girlfriend.”
“Good!”
Pokke promptly had the bendy straw shoved between her lips.
Blinking widely, Pokke’s face felt hot in embarrassment and she couldn’t help but pout. She had meant to sound nonchalant, stepping up like Tachyon’s strange experiments didn’t weird her out in any way. Instead her cheeks burned and she had a feeling she looked more like a blushing schoolgirl being teased than the suave girlfriend she had envisioned.
The concoction fizzled in her mouth, cold and overwhelmingly spicy. It was absolutely disgusting.
Tachyon stared at her, looking more impatient for results worth recording than thankful or impressed as she tapped away on her laptop.
Pokke swallowed with great effort. “W-what’s in this thing anyway?” Pokke leant over Tachyon’s shoulder, peering at the incoherent notes on the screen. “What’s it gonna do?”
“Unclear!” Tachyon said brightly, “But it is intended to dull pain receptors to allow an Umamusume to push herself to the absolute limit! It’s probably wise to use it in moderation. But all previous attempts have proved that my formula is incorrect. So, we’ll see if this one ends in catastrophic failure too~!”
Pokke tensed, her stomach turned as the spice sensation began to spread like fire from throat to her stomach. She failed at biting back a pathetically nervous whine. “Catastrophic failure..?”
Tachyon had begun typing, glancing back at the other every few seconds with cheerful eyes. “How fascinating, your eyes are watering! Tell me, on a scale from one to ten how would you describe the intensity of the burning sensation? Do you notice any other side effects?”
Pokke just groaned, head falling back against the couch.
_____________________________________
Jungle Pocket hated all things scary. Creepy places, creepy games, creepy movies, creepy shadows that looked like things when they weren’t. She hated it all.
She also hated saying no to any opportunity to hang out with Tachyon.
Which is how she found herself in her girlfriend’s dorm at two in the morning, watching some obscure psychological thriller made who knows how many decades ago. The atmosphere was heavy enough that Pokke swore she could feel it physically pressing against her skin.
The movie was about a woman who had fled her hometown, hoping to build a new life in a quiet neighborhood. But the past, or rather a monster born of it, seemed determined to follow her. Every time she tried to settle, there it was, never quite revealed but never absent either.
Currently the woman was trying to subtly escape from her dimly lit stairwell, moving carefully so the presence behind her wouldn’t realize she had noticed it.
“Fascinating,” Tachyon murmured, her entire focus on the screen. “The director’s use of lighting is quite effective. I wonder if the monster is intended to represent her rejection of her new found comfort-“
Pokke didn’t hear half of what she was saying. She couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering as the woman slipped, tumbling down the stairs in a desperate scramble as the monster gave chase.
Pokke knew it was a movie. She wasn’t stupid. She knew that the woman was fine. Knew the monster was just effects. Knew that she was safe. She repeated it over and over in her head like a mantra, but none of it stopped her from shaking so much that she couldn’t keep herself from scrambling halfway into her girlfriend’s lap.
“Oh?” Tachyon tilted her head, a sly smile tugging at her lips. She didn’t seem at all fazed by the horror, only amused by the way her girlfriend clung to her pyjama sleeve. “Are you the one in need of comfort here, Pokke~?“
Pokke’s face burned, but her body refused to move. She buried her face in Tachyon’s shoulder in shame, muffling her voice. “No-! I-I’m not scared! Just… cold. Am I not allowed to cuddle my girlfriend when I’m cold?!”
“Mm, of course.” Tachyon let her words drip with teasing disbelief. She shifted making room for Pokke to curl closer and draped an arm around her shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Luckily I happen to generate plenty of heat.”
Pokke grumbled. What a switch of roles…
Except it really wasn’t.
Tachyon had never curled up in Pokke’s lap and Pokke had never draped an arm over Tachyon’s shoulders and, oh god- the lady’s shin just broke out of her leg!!
By the time the credits rolled Pokke was practically fused with Tachyon’s side. All while Tachyon was still just as calm and entertained.
“What an interesting film!” Tachyon declared. “Though I believe it’s true value was in providing me with an unforeseen discovery.”
Pokke blinked up at her in suspicion. “…What discovery?”
“That my dear Jungle Pocket is far more cuddly when terrified.” Tachyon grinned, tapping the tip of Pokke’s nose.
Pokke huffed, flustered, and shoved at the other. “You- just… shut up.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Tachyon laughed, catching Pokke before she could retreat too far and tugging her back into the warmth of her arms. “Now, shall we test my theory with another film? Something with more… teeth?”
Pokke froze in terror, letting out a dramatic wail. “You’re evil!!”
“And you,” Tachyon replied smoothly, pressing a quick kiss to her temple before reaching for the remote, “are adorable.”
_____________________________________
When Pokke had glanced out her window earlier that morning and saw the state of the sky, her only thought was ‘oh, nice cloudy day, good training weather.’ Less than an hour later the rain had become bad enough for her and Tachyon to sprint for cover under the bleachers whilst the sky pummeled down on them.
They both had a race tomorrow and Pokke had proposed training in their nice racing wear and maybe practising their post-race performance choreography.
Pokke’s racing wear was not built for rain in the slightest. Shivering, her clothes clung uncomfortably to what skin they covered and her skin was quickly turning shades pink from the cold.
The rain was abnormally heavy, echoing overhead, easily loud enough to be mistaken for hail.
Tachyon, of course, looked barely inconvenienced. Her hair was damp and her shoes were muddy, but aside from that she still seemed chipper. “Wouldn’t it be thrilling to continue practicing in this weather?”
“Nngh… thrilling, sure.” Pokke tried to cover her poor midriff with her arms. “If hypothermia counts as thrilling.”
Tachyon pouted, giving Pokke a once over. “You’re cold.”
“Genius observation-! Really.” Pokke snapped, teeth chattered uncontrollably and her… everything- felt numb. “As soon as this weather clears up I’m running back to the dorms and having a long, hot shower!”
“Would you let me join?” Tachyon was clearly teasing, poking Pokke’s exposed side, stepping back to avoid being swiped at.
Pokke yelped, twisting away. “H-hey! Cut that out- wait, what are you doing..?”
Before Pokke could finish Tachyon had shrugged off her lab coat and was draping it around her shoulders. The relief was immediate. The thing wasn’t completely dry, but it was still infinitely warmer than the biting cold air she had felt.
“There.” Tachyon began doing up each button, beaming at the other. “Better?”
Pokke blinked down at herself. The coat was already big on Tachyon, but it looked straight up massive on her right now. She found it a little embarrassing, enjoying the way it absolutely enveloped her. Pokke had thought about as they approached the colder months how she could offer Tachyon her coat on a late night date or if the dorm’s heater ever broke. “Wha… What about you?”
“I’m still in long sleeves and pants.” Tachyon said easily, brushing a strand of Pokke’s sopping wet hair from her cheek. “Statistically, I’m likely just as well off as you are with my coat right now.”
Pokke groaned, burying her face in the coat collar, muffling her voice. “…You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous?” Tachyon echoed, grinning wider. “You mean heroic~.”
Pokke rolled her eyes while biting her tongue. Yeah, ‘heroic’, like that wasn’t obviously meant to be her role.
_____________________________________
Jungle Pocket didn’t know where Narita Top Road was, and she couldn’t bring herself to care.
Tachyon’s hands were in her hair, scratching her scalp as Pokke ran her hands up and under her sweater as she had kiss after kiss planted all over her face, along her jaw, anywhere Tachyon could reach. Pokke shifted her leg between her partner’s, and she could feel Tachyon shift.
Pokke knows she said something corny like “You’re mine~”
And then the loud, obnoxious ‘beep! beep! beep!’ of an alarm shattered everything.
Pokke jolted awake, sleep fogging her mind as she looked around her dorm in confusion.
Narita Top Road was near the door, tugging on her training shoes and humming to herself, before noticing her groggy roommate. “Morning, Pokke-kun!”
“Uh… morning…” Pokke croaked, ears still pounding with the memory of her dream.
A horny dream.
How… how teenager of her…
Pokke glared at her phone with ire. Stupid phone. Disturbing, ruining, awesome dreams… wait. Tachyon is her actual girlfriend. She could literally make her dreams a reality.
Pokke is snapped out of her starring contest with her phone as the door clicked shut behind Top Road.
Pokke promptly launched into her morning routine.
Just before mid-day Pokke finally found Tachyon, naturally, in the storage-room/lab.
Tachyon was sat on the floor, crouching over a stack of papers, scribbling out equations every now and again.
Tachyon looked up, catching Pokke staring and quirking an eyebrow. “Lost, Pokke?” she asked, voice teasing.
Pokke didn’t answer as she crossed the room in just a few quick strides. Tachyon blinked as Pokke gripped her shoulders.
“I’ve been thinking about you all morning.” Pokke blurted as she fell to her knees, now at Tachyon’s level. She could feel her heartbeat in her ears and her cheeks burned. “I-“
‘I wanna have steamy possessive sex!’ ‘I wanna make you grind against my leg!‘ How freaking weird is that to say out loud?
She didn’t finish. Instead she pushed Tachyon slowly onto her back, opened her mouth to say something suave-… and froze. Again.
Tachyon blinked up at her in surprise, before grinning, seemingly finally picking up on some of what Pokke was trying to communicate, and tackled Pokke until their positions were reversed.
And Pokke… Pokke just gave up. She wasn’t about to tell her super hot girlfriend not to pin her. But it was getting to a point in Pokke’s mind… this isn’t what she had imagined at all. It never was.
_____________________________________
The two lay tangled together on the old, battered, couch. Pokke was squished between the back of the couch and Tachyon’s warm body as the other toyed with her fingers.
The room was quiet except for their breaths and Tachyon’s PC whirring in the background.
Pokke sighed, rolling her head to the side, facing the back of the couch. “I don’t think I’m very good at being the type of girlfriend I thought I’d be.” She muttered.
Tachyon raised an eyebrow, sitting up slightly to look down at the other. “Oh? And what type of girlfriend did you intend to be?”
“You know…” Pokke’s tail flicked nervously against the couch cushions. “Cool, confident, the type who takes charge. The type of girlfriend who’s like-“ she gestured with her hand vaguely. “-smooth in that movie kind of way. Like the ‘hey girl’ kind of girlfriend? I dunno.”
Tachyon grinned, eyes full of mirth. “Ah, yes. The ‘hey girl’ archetype. A real staple in the romance genre.”
Pokke groaned, covering her face with both hands and turning further to hide in the back of the couch. “Don’t make fun of me! I’m being serious! I keep trying to act like… that everytime I’m with you and I just-“ She peeked through her finger to see Tachyon still smiling in amusement. “I end up doing something that’s the opposite.”
Tachyon tapped her chin in false contemplation. “I fail to see the issue.”
“You’re just biased.” Pokke said flatly.”
“Biased towards the truth~!” Tachyon sang-song, tugging Pokke’s hands away from her face. “You seem to be under the impression that affection requires some kind of dominance. Or that I’m supposed to be swept off my feet. But I quite enjoy you exactly as you are. Sweet, clumsy, impulsive… and very easy to fluster.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“I’m serious!” Tachyon leaned further over Pokke, eyes bright. “Pokke, this… ‘cool girlfriend’ thing, it seems a lot like a performance of heteronormativity.”
Pokke blinked up at her. “Of what?”
“Attempting to replicate the socially ingrained male-female relationship dynamics.” Tachyon explained, tone perfectly casual. “You imagine yourself as the assertive partner because that is what your brain views as romantic. But our relationship has no need to replicate that. We are two Umamusume.”
Pokke stared up at Tachyon for a beat. “You are such a nerd.”
“A right nerd.” Tachyon corrected, beaming. “Besides, if we’re assigning stereotypes, you’re far more of a romantic than a… ‘hey girl’.”
“Romantic?” Pokke echoed.
“Hopelessly so.” Tachyon brushed a strand of hair from Pokke’s forehead. “You try so hard to be in charge. But you melt the moment I kiss you-“ Tachyon wrapped her arms around Pokke, trapping the other to press a kiss to Pokke’s cheek while she squirmed. “-or smile at you~.” Tachyon spoke against Pokke’s skin. “And when you think I’m not looking, you stare at me like you’re trying to memorise my face.”
Pokke stiffened. “I… I do not.”
Tachyon grinned, pulling back. “Do too.”
Pokke covered her face again, groaning helplessly. “This is humiliating.”
“Incorrect.” Tachyon gently pried her hands away once more. “I find it endlessly endearing that you think you must have some rigid idea of a ‘girlfriend’. I didn't start dating you because I wanted to date a stereotype.”
Pokke met her eyes with a skeptical pout. “Then why.”
“Because,” Tachyon said simply. “I like the way you think you have to be brave to keep up with me. I like how hard you try to impress me. I like the way you cling to me when you’re scared. I like that you let me use you as my guinea pig. I like you, Pokke. Not the version of you that you’ve made up in your head.”
Her words make Pokke feel all kinds of queasy. Her throat felt tight, something between a laugh and a sigh escaping out. “Tachyon… you can’t just say things like that.” She mumbled, voice muffled as she rolled to bury her face in the other’s chest to hide her expression.
Tachyon chuckled brightly, her hand finding the back of Pokke’s head and combing through her hair. “Why not? I’m just observing the observable.”
“You’re impossible.” Pokke mumbled, voice muffled. “You’re supposed to be the mad scientist, not the one who says weirdly heartfelt stuff.”
“I contain multitudes.” She said in mock seriousness.
Pokke peeked up at her, cheeks still flushed, still struggling to look her in the eye. “…Do you think I’m dumb for all that? For trying to act like the cool one?”
Tachyon tilted her head, humming lightly. “I think… it’s very you. But I don’t need a cool girlfriend. I just need you. I’d never trade you for another.”
Pokke let out a falsely exasperated sigh “Fine. Maybe I don’t need to be the cool one all of the time.”
Tachyon’s laughter was bright, echoing through the room as she pulled Pokke closer. Tangled together on that battered couch, maybe Pokke didn’t care as much about being cool, or not cool. Just Tachyon’s.