Forging the path

Humming a cheerful and lively song Estelle would go over all the preparations she made: her small travel backpack was on top of her bed with all kind of things scattered around, from turkey sandwiches properly wrapped in paper to water bottles and even some sunscreen. Her bikini was also there. Yes, it looked like everything was ready so the Swiss started filling her backpack while reflected on how the last couple of weeks went by without her even noticing. Her mind had been troubled since the day she met Rosemary for dinner. Even if the date went pretty well, Estelle couldn’t help but thing that in the very end she didn’t allow things to properly flow when both women wanted more and killed the mood, ending the night with a uncomfortable and sad tone.

For some days Estelle felt guilty about that and in the worst moments wondered if Rosemary would even want to see her again after her ruining everything. But after some time the Swiss allowed herself to text her… friend? again and to her surprise Rosemary didn’t bear any resentment, or at least it seemed so. Estelle had some plan though, a way of making things right while getting to spend some time with Rosemary. In their previous encounter they had a long chat about how different their approach to travelling and visiting places was, and Estelle hinted them having a cool trip to the coutryside. It turned out that the Swill found a pretty good deal for a nice, fun and short hike through the mountains that would end in a relaxing onsen place. It didn’t require much persistence from her part to get Rosemary to agree with the plan, and after giving her some pointers about what to wear and pack her swimsuit (but never mentioned the onsen) they had a solid plan.

Estelle had gone over her stuff for some time now. Since she wasn’t going to be more ready than she was and time was getting short she got her backpack and with quick pace she walked towards the train station where she had agreed on meeting with Rosemary. She was wearing some greenish skin fit hiking pants and a short sleeved white t-shirt with some dark brown hiking boots to end her outfit. As she arrived at the train station she noticed their train lying in the railway in wait for departure. It was a small trip to the mountains, like half an hour or so, and even if it looked like Rosemary hadn’t arrived yet the British still had more than half an hour to show up. Estelle found herself scanning with her gaze in search for Rosemary, noticing her heart beating fast and realizing that she was really nervous. Just the expectation of seeing that woman once more made her heart beat a skip as she kept searching for Rosemary.

Her first real date had ended on an awkwardly. A head filled with the fancy of what romance was by books and movies, she had been waiting to be kissed and swept off her feet by Estelle. What she had gotten was a sweet goodnight and a peck on the cheek, a gesture that alone was still quite nice. It was their first date after all, she didn't really know why she had expected something more realistically. But she had embarrassed herself by how obvious that expectation was and feared it might have frightened her date. Was she too being too needy? Had she ruined it all? For days she worried, too afraid to call or text to gauge where both women stood with one another.

Estelle had been the one to break the silence in the form of a text, finally reaching her from a pergatory of not knowing if her actions had doomed them. Things seemed well enough, the Swiss woman even inquired if she was still interested in their agreed upon hike. She had stared at the offer on her phone for some time, biting her lip and happily humming to herself… her friend Scarlet even commented on how upbeat she was that day during their training session. Was it that obvious? The sky captain would eventually respond with an emphatic "Yes" to th offer, giddy with excitement to see Estelle again even if a hike was far less personal than a dinner date.

When all the details were laid out, it piqued Rosemary's curiosity but she tried her best not to try and pry some more answers from Estelle, clearly the other girl wanted to keep some of the more important details to herself. Rather than walking through any number of parks or cultural sites in the city, they were taking a train someplace. While she was unsure of the destination, she had been instructed to bring a bathing suit. So maybe a lake of some sort? The request for swimwear had admitted made her somewhat nervous. Reaching through her drawers she only really had a rather bland grey one piece from all the way back in high school. While it probably still fit, it wasn't very… her. Thankfully she had time before their second… maybe date, to go shopping for something new.

When th day had finally arrived, she triple checked to make sure she had everything tucked into her backpack. Her brand new bathing suit, two large sport bottles of water, first aid kit, towel, a change of socks, bug spray and a book she had been working on reading recently. She hadn't been asked to bring anything besides herself and the swimwear, but liked to be prepared for anything. Satisfied, she left early to arrive with time to spare. There was a spring in her step as she walked the streets with a bright smile on her face. She looked sporty today, long hair ti e back in a ponytail, donning her workout gear adorned with her sky captain logo. Estelle had seen her like this once before when they first met, markedly far more normal than her usual stately captain's coat.

Almost an hour early, she had found herself a place to sit in a small coffee shop across from the station. She bought herself a small hot chocolate, giving her reason enough to linger and read her book while she waited and occasionally looked across the way to where the trains were coming and going. She hadn't wanted to seem too eager or desperate and be waiting at the train itself even before the woman who had arranged all this, so she bided her time and let the minutes tick by between pages and sips.

At roughly fifteen minutes to their agreed upon meeting time she polished off her drink and vacated the small cafe, briskly moving to the station. It wasn't terribly crowded so she caught sight of Estelle almost immediately. Rosemary didn't move to meet her just yet, instead taking a moment to admire her from afar before the other woman spotted her. She was almost certain Estelle could make anything look fashionable, even with such simple clothes the other woman was just so pretty. With a wistful smile and a bit of color on her cheeks she made her way over, saying once the Swiss woman visibly noticed her. "Good afternoon Estelle, as glowing as ever I see."

Estelle was a diligent person, her mind worked hard and smart and was at ease while doing it. She was just one of those people who were happier when their mind had something to think about, and that was the reason why in all that time she spent getting preparations for that trip done she had been at ease, the simple, comforting sensation of work slowly but surely advancing towards completion taking over in a way that allowed her to put all her worries aside for at least the time she was in that concentrated state.

Now that the Swiss was on the train station and had nothing to do that mindset faded and her worries came back. She wasn’t one to overthink things, but right at that moment Estelle wasn’t in full control of her emotions. Meeting Rosemary had been an emotional rollercoaster for the brunette. From the very first time they casually met at the coffee shop to that fateful night with a bitter end to it Estelle had found herself curious about Rosemary, captivated about her charms, charisma and humility. It was much more than simple curiosity since Estelle found herself mesmerized by Rosemary’s manners, by how she looked at her, how her brown locks cascaded through her shoulders or how her giggle had that special ring when she made a joke.

But with that all butterflies to her stomach came a much less pleasant and dreamy sensation, a constant knot inside Estelle that would bother her to the point of freezing her in fear. She was afraid of not being seen as she saw Rosemary, or of being seen like that but in the end losing her chances. Rejection was something she could get over, but loss, the Swiss had her good share of it already. She was afraid of not being ready to tackle the challenge of giving herself to someone else in a significant way. It was almost funny how ironical it was for someone whose job had a sexual nature to feel so scared about sharing an intimate moment.

At a moment like the one Estelle was in at the moment all those negative feelings surfaced again. Rosemary agreed on meeting there, but what if the woman was mad at the Swiss’ lack of resolve the last night? After all it had been Estelle the one who broke silence. Could it be that Rosemary was mad at her because of how the last night ended? What if Rosemary didn’t even show up? Estelle started feeling a knot forming in her stomach as the negative thoughts sank in, anxiousness growing within her.

Luckily for Estelle, Rosemary came in her rescue. All her anxiousness faded when she noticed the British from the distance. She was wearing a workout attire in a similar way as she was the first time they met. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and her face had a slight tone of blush when they approached each other. “Good afternoon Rosemary. As dreamy as ever.”, Estelle said while holding Rose’s hands within hers while giving her the best of her smiles. It was difficult to feel bad around that woman since it looked like she made all of Estelle’s worries at ease.

What was the proper greeting here? A wave? A hug? Rosemary contemplated this at a loss as she walked the next few steps towards Estelle. She settled with the small wave, not wanting to overstep any bounds especially after how their last encounter had gone. It didn't deter her much at all, just happy to be out of the apartment with someone new and interesting… there was also that underlying hope something more would all come of this but she was determined to try to not embarrass herself by drowning the two of them in her own daydreamed expectations. So when the other woman took her hand in here, that gentle blush of here flourished to even bright hues as her smile widened.

"Me? Dreamy? I didn't take you for someone who dreamed about track pants and gym bags." Rosemary remarked, leaning in to bump the other girls shoulder very lightly. She appreciates the compliment though, it was a rare occasion she was flattered by someone whose opinion she actually cared about. Cat calls, fan comments and the like were fine, but detached and not really personal past how she looked. It meant more coming from the Swiss woman.

"I expected a walk in a park and you are taking me on an adventure it would seem." The young Brit hiked the strap of her bag up on one shoulder to emphasize. It was light, only having packed what was asked of her. There was that lingering curiosity that wanted to ask about the bathing suit but had decided to let it go for now. If it wasn't supposed to be a surprise she was sure the other woman would have mentioned it. "Hopefully I am not stealing too much of your time, I know you're busy."

At that moment into their friendship or whatever that was going to be it was pretty clear that Estelle liked Rosemary, but of course things weren’t always perfect and even the most intense and loving of couples had some issues or spots they didn’t like of their partners. For Estelle, it was some attitude coming from Rosemary that kicked in now and then and made the British woman start talking in a self depricating manner, as if she perceived herself some leagues below Estelle and not worthy of her attention, as if she was a bother and not the pleasant company the Swiss seeked. Estelle was eager to admit that she didn’t do it voluntarily, and if it was in her hand she would love helping her get rid of that.

Estelle sighed. “Don’t you say that!”, she said while squeezing Rosemary’s hands for an instant in a light scolding manner. “I am here today and there isn’t anywhere else I would like to be.”, Estelle almost pouted to Rosemary to keep it clear that she was just making some remarks and not trying to correct her friend. “And believe in my taste when I say you look dreamy, because you do.”, she finished with a wink.

“Well, I hope you are ready for some hiking, because we aren’t going to the park but to a natural park!” First we have to ride that train in there and after about half an hour of trip we will have a nice hike, but I won’t spoil the surprises!” Estelle waved with her hand in the train’s direction. “So, would you make the honors?”, she asked inviting Rosemary to enter first.

"Alright, alright." Rosemary conceded rather quickly at the light people ouch and Estelle's pout, unable to keep up her own self deprecating comments under such light objection. While the thought of legitimately upsetting the Swiss girl was certainly a driving factor, it was the look she gave that shut it down completely. It was those puppy dog eyes which melted any resolve to keep it going even if only for humor sake. The brunette flashed her guide for the day a small smile, returning a small squeeze to the other woman's hands. It felt good, it felt right.

"Thank you. You're incredibly sweet." Rosemary gave their hands a playful swing from side to side as the two conversed, brightening up at the mention of the hike. She was excited, perhaps a bit too much, to see what the other woman had cooked up. She had been proud of her little diamond in the rough noodle shop for their first date but it had been a lucky hit. There was no telling just how well the humble little shop would be received until they had gotten there. Now? It didn't take much to impress Rosemary, not when it came to getting out and moving. She had jogged on her weekly routine the same stretch's of park since she got to Japan. It was time for a change and the company only made it better.

"My thanks" Rosemary put on her poshest of tones, giving a sweeping flourish of a bow to Estelle, hamming it up for the simple courtesy of being permitted entry first. She crossed the few steps onto the train then turned back, offering a hand to help the other girl cross the small gap even though it was entirely not necessary. With both girls on the train she moved to find the both of them a seat, motioning to a both. "Is this to your liking, Lady Dreamer?"

Estelle’s mood became brighter when Rosemary agreed on dropping the self depricating humor. It actually hurt the Swiss seeing an interesting, smart and actually funny person like the British falling for self harming jokes like those. That pointed to Rosemary not thinking of herself being in the same league as Estelle, making her look like she was making the Swiss lose her time and that made the Swiss one feel really sad. If she could, she would like to help Rosemary overcome this, and having that little scolding with puppy eyes was an effective start. When the British got in the mood and started swinging her hands to the sides, Estelle smile brightly. “That’s the Rosemary I like to see.”

After that, Estelle guided her friend towards the train, offering her to enter first. When Rosemary responded with that overly posh accent and bowed to her Estelle’s hear beat a skip. That woman’s manners gave her a presence and elegance without par, and the Swiss found herself more and more into it. “Much obliged.”, she said with a slow demeanor as she took Rosemary’s hand and crossed the gap towards the train.

Rosemary guided Estelle inside the train in search for a couple seats in a quiet, more private kind of spot. “It is, Dream Lady. Sit closer to the window, you are going to like the sight. And don’t fall asleep! I don’t know why I think of you as the dozing off in the train type...” Estelle giggled while sitting next to Rosemary. “And from here I will have the best sight of all: a beauty gazing through the train window.”, a sultry smile appeared on her face.

Rosemary had been inclined to let Estelle sit first, acting as chivalrous as she had during their first date but when directed to take a seat by the window she did as she was asked. Her fingers slipped from the other girl's hand as she slipped onto the train seat, unslinging her bag to set at her feet. The brunette tilted her head curiously at the demand to stay away, unable to hold back a small smirk at that. She was pretty good about staying awake on the train, busses though… not as much. The thought now in her head, she couldn't stop imagining nodding off on the side and laying her head on the Swiss woman's shoulder. She blushed faintly.

"Oh?" She blinked at the mention of the best sight, peering around curiously to try and figure out how that was possible if Rosemary had the window seat. When Estelle continued, Rosemary peered back to her date, not catching her meaning until she saw that look on her face. Her lips parted slightly as if she had wanted to say something but it got caught in her throat, instead her cheeks just burned with brighter crimson and she swallowed hard. Her bright blue eyes wandered off to the side, brushing back a few strands of hair to hide her burning face. "Lady Dreamer… are you flirting with me?"

Estelle was enjoying herself too much with that situation. In a certain way having the reins on the situation and the date helped her get in a good mood. She was the one who knew where were they going and how all the details were going to be, leaving Rosemary in the dark about every detail of that date. It was for a good reason though, the Swiss expected to surprise her date with a pleasant and memorable day.

But for the moment Estelle had more pressuring matters to attend to than planning the later moments of that day since Rosemary was going all in with her suggestive questioning, and Estelle could see the British hiding her blush behind her brown locks in a way that threatened with melting her heart. Estelle was a methodical planning kind of person, but some things escape even the best of plans and Rosemary was capable of pushing Estelle to improvise, and she loved that in some way.

Estelle’s hand went to Rosemary’s chin as the Swiss approached her, forcing her locks hiding her face out of the way so both women would look at each other in the eye. “You tell me. Am I?” They were so close to each other’s face that the only thing Estelle had to do was move forwards a couple of centimeters. The Swiss hadn’t envisioned that going that way, but she was ready. Closing her eyes, Estelle parted her lips and attempted her move.

Sudden noise startled Estelle to the point she opened her eyes and shook from the impression. The train’s doors had opened and around fifteen elementary school kids made it inside, chosing their seats as a couple of overwhelmed-looking retainers tried their best to look like they had control over the small creatures. Estelle sighed at the mood-killing situation. She wanted her first proper encounter with Rosemary to be something memorable, so she retreated from her as the noise and loud screaming of kids took over the car. The Swiss could only hope that didn’t ruin the half hour trip by train. As she retreated to her seat, her hand gave Rosemary’s a gentle touch and a squeeze that said “not now”, with implied a promise for more to come in the future. “Guess you won’t be able to take a nap now!”, Estelle tried to crack a joke to make the situation less frustrating.

She could feel the heat in her face and only hoped it wasn't as obvious as it felt as she busier herself tucking stray strands of hair back behind her ear. She felt a gentle touch on her chin of Estelle's fingers, coaxing her head up so the two of them could see eye to eye. She couldn't help but stare as the Swiss woman inched closer, throwing her question softly back at her. It was a devilish thing to do to make poor Rosemary respond as words left her in this moment leaving her befuddled and tongue tied. "I… uh…"

She felt so vulnerable without her costume. Her Sky Captain attire was like a suit of armor that helped her slip into the skin of someone more confident, someone more powerful. While she was in essence the same person, she found it easier to be eating when she inhabited the role fully.

She could see Estelle slowly drifting closer, those full lips of hers pursing, calling to her. In the bright train lighting they seemed to glisten invitingly. This was what she had wanted so dearly from the end of their last date… so soon? Had something changed since then? Her mind worked to overanalyze the situation as she sat frozen in waiting. Was she ready for this? What would it mean for them?

She wanted to find out. Closing her eyes she pursed her lips as well, the corners tugging at a pleased smile as she waited. Estelle was so close she could feel her breath, it made her skin tingle. This is what she wanted, something she had only just started to pine for after meeting Estelle. Rosemary was ready to let down her guard just a bit to see what waited for her just behind the horizon…

The jarring slam of a door separating train cars cut through the moment with all the subtlety of a chainsaw, making the young girl jumped in her seat. Wide eyed, blinking she looked to the noise to see the new crowd of arrivals filing into their train car. She breathed a bit heavily, the sound had taken her completely by surprise making her heart rate skyrocket for that brief moment. Her blue eyes shifted between Estelle who looked equally surprised and the children, then back again.

Her lips pulled tightly trying to hold something back. As disappointed as she was that something she had wanted so badly had been suddenly snatched away, she couldn't help but find it funny. Just the look on her date's face and how they both had been startled, it was like their parents had just barged in on them or something. It was silly and childish… she bowed her head a moment as a soft snort squeaked out from her. Then a giggle. Estelle's terrible attempt at a joke in the lingering awkwardness hit her way harder than it should have as she burst out laughing, perhaps louder than intended as she quickly clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle it.

Slowly she settled herself enough to let her hand full away, still having a small giggle here and there. At the light touch from the other brunette, Rosemary slipped her arm around the other girl's, fingers spreading out to push her date's hand open so she could slip her fingers together, locking them entwined. "I might just try now, just to see if I can." Rosemary closed her eyes and scooted up beside Estelle, leaning up against her. She leaned her head down onto the other woman's shoulder and pretended to make a soft snoring sound for a few moments, opening an eye slightly with a playful smirk as if to check if she was fooling anyone… which she likely wasn't.