nothing the matter with a kiss
⛤wc: 1.5k
— rose was so incredibly, tiresomely good that svetlana could no longer deny her feelings. neither could rose herself.
time always passed unnoticed for svetlana under the strobe lights. the music had long since ceased to seem deafeningly loud, the cocktails cloyingly sweet, and the people around her intrusive and a waste of precious air. especially since today they were lucky once again: a rather remote table was available for the four of them, conveniently enough, close to both the bar for refills and her beloved dance floor.
getting together like this was a stroke of luck, almost like a straight flush or even a royal flush — almost unattainable. it was understandable— ilya and shane rarely stood anywhere but on the ice, rose was rarely even in her own clothes or without makeup, and she herself was always hanging around cars, which didnt exactly encourage friendly gatherings. of course, they always kept in touch with ilya, no matter how crazy the world was, and they along with it. and his beloved shane was now becoming more and more closely connected to her, constantly sending her charming greetings and polite inquiries about how she was doing through his boyfriend. she thought he was just sweet, but now he was beginning to open up to her much more deeply, and it was no surprise that he continued to maintain the same positive attitude and worthy of ilyas prickly, yet so tender, heart. he was a truly good man. so it was only natural that he chose a similar girl as his companion, even if she was a complete failure.
rose was wonderful. of course, svetlana wasnt a terrible person or evil incarnate either. but rose was good. and the fact that she had once so carefully and gently nudged shane that led him to happiness with Ilya, made her doubly better. and it was exhausting.
because she was so effortlessly wonderful all evening, as she always was whenever they found themselves in the same company. she complained about yet another pointless extra shoot, awkwardly scheduled into her already jam-packed schedule, and took an interest in their lives, playing the role of a sympathetic listener even in such near-impossible circumstances, always making good-natured jokes at the right time, so that no one would even think of wallowing in despondency. of course, because such a pleasant rose was there.
who so exhausted svetlana with her perfection. who so excited her.
the way she sat so relaxed and elegant on the sofa, how divinely beautiful she seemed in the most unremarkable black dress, which she carried off so well thanks to her chiseled figure, her almost innocent, heartfelt gaze, and the smooth waves of her hair, playfully tossed back to reveal the delicate necklace around her neck, the way she slowly sipped her cocktail, gradually dabbing the nude lipstick that graced her full lips with such subtle subtlety, the way she was just herself.
she was unlike svetlana or anyone else in the circles of girls she usually frequented. she was so natural and unpretentious, yet her influence and reach could easily have dominated the entire room. and it was captivating. contradictory, illogical, imprudent, but captivating.
and thats precisely why, after their two darlings had fluttered off to pursue activities she didnt want to dwell on right now, svetlana, who had abstained from alcohol that evening, offered rose a ride home. not because she was desperately hoping for something — though deep down, she certainly felt that — but because she was incredibly reluctant to leave her alone in a taxi. did she expect, as a solo driver whose salons were rarely frequented by anyone close, let alone someone of high importance like rose landry, to develop this obsession and follow it so blindly? of course not. so, despite her impulses, she remained silent the entire way home, lest she say something she might later regret. and it seemed the girl somehow nonverbally understood her feelings, because she, too, had agreed to this silence. it wasnt dry or awkward — at least thats how she felt — everything felt safe, calm, peaceful. as if they were a married couple returning home together after work.
stop. no unfounded fantasies. she shouldnt have been thinking about that.
luckily, they would be parting now, and she wouldnt have to think about rose for a few more weeks. or rather, she wouldnt have to think about her, at least not in her presence.
the car stopped in front of a ordinarily beautiful building. svetlana turned off the engine, not quite sure why, and turned to look at rose, who was already looking at her, seemingly not intending to leave. and shed been foolish enough not to push her away.
"i like your hair." after the silence that had lasted the entire drive, it was surprisingly pleasant to hear her voice. it, as always, sounded so gentle, even when she tried to prove it wasnt so by speaking a little louder.
"thank you."
"and your dress."
today, svetlana was wearing a red sleeveless dress. she was ashamed to admit it, and she would never be able to tell it to another living soul, but it had been ordered the night after their latest meeting, when rose had let it slip that she really liked red on other people after a girl in a similar dress walked past. she liked it too, of course. besides, it always served as a good excuse for having practically the only item of that color in her wardrobe.
"thank you."
from the outside, it might have seemed that she responded to the compliments with extreme coldness and disinterest, as if she was only accepting them for show, to get rid of her. but at the same time, beneath that cold exterior, her breath caught in her throat. every word the girl said resonated indecently strongly within her.
"youre very beautiful, you know that?" svetlana felt a fluttering and burning sensation inside, spreading through her heart like hot caramel. and she was so hurt by this sweetness, by the realization that she was forced to restrain herself for the sake of someone elses well-being.
"youre very beautiful too, rose." it was simply politeness, a stock answer, the kind their friendly relationship encouraged.
nothing more.
"i truly think so." and svetlana smiled just as automatically. "i like you."
the corners of her lips twitched upward in a fit of hysteria before collapsing completely. everything froze, all vital processes ceased.
they stared for a long time, their gazes fixed, unerringly finding each others silhouettes in the citys gloom.
it was difficult for svetlana to understand whether this was the truth or simply a misinterpretation of her own feelings. it was difficult for svetlana to understand whether her reciprocal confession would only make things worse. it was difficult for svetlana to remain the sole arbiter of the balance between their decisions.
but at the same time, she looked at rose, and all the complications no longer mattered.
"i like you too."
the girl across from her seemed taken aback by this. her eyelashes quickly fluttered a few times before returning to her searchingly.
"dont play with me. dont answer just out of politeness."
her captivating gaze immediately exerted an unearthly influence on her.
"i really mean it."
"yeah?"
"yeah." svetlana nodded, looking into her eyes, confirming.
for a moment, rose looked uncertainly, distrustfully, searching for a hint of condescension, but her stance changed abruptly as she approached her face, causing svetlana to flinch and almost pull back. but the girl didnt kiss. she looked at her for a long time, languidly stretching out the quick impulses into a soothing infinity. in her beautifully shimmering blue eyes, she saw anticipation, a thirst for action — everything she couldnt give her.
svetlana couldnt bear this inquisitiveness and touched her forehead with her own, looking away, giving herself a brief respite from the battle with herself.
"i really like you." she sighed. "too much for me to kiss you after so many cocktails."
she lifted her face, searching for even the slightest hint of hurt on the others face.
"but im fine." rose looked at her so sweetly from under her brows. she looked like a squirrel or something else utterly adorable.
svetlana couldnt help but smile at the comparison.
"i believe you. but i dont wanna leave you without a choice in case you suddenly want to forget about this tomorrow. i dont want us to be awkward, no matter what."
"but i like you." rose ran her hand through her hair, making her breath catch. her fingers brushed against her curls, playing with them, and svetlana sucked in a breath, unable to control her racing heart. "sometimes i think that i think about you more than any of my ex-boyfriends." she paused briefly, smiling awkwardly. "just dont tell shane, i love him too much."
the two of them burst into laughter.
"im not rejecting you, rose." svetlana was now the one stroking her hair, silently enjoying its softness and scent. "im just saying we need to talk about this soberly." she quickly saw the reflection of her inner frustration. "im not putting this all off indefinitely just to get rid of you." with this phrase, she seemed to literally stop the awkwardly sad rose, who was about to leave. "tomorrow. im busy during the day, but in the evening, if youre free…"
"okay." she replied even faster than she finished her sentence. now rose truly decided to return home, picking up her purse.
svetlana felt heavy-hearted, leaving her so sad.
"hey." she touched her palm, encircling her fingers, and brushed her warm cheek with her cool lips. "let this be a small confirmation of my words."
this made rose blossom, softening her features. now she looked like the most beautiful rose.
"see you tomorrow." rose said quietly before opening the car door.
"see you tomorrow." svetlana echoed when the girls seat was empty.
she drove away from the building, her gaze lingering on the graceful back of the departing girl. on the way to the apartment, her mind was occupied only with thoughts of how much she wanted tomorrow to end quickly so she could return once again to her beloved rose.









