For @duckprintspress' May Trope Mayhem prompt 13: 'unresolved sexual tension', <1k, rated T, no warnings
Update: this series is now on Ao3 with longer chapters!
shorts on tumblr: part 1, part 2:
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"Don't you want to go through the documents before we get there?" Myka asks staring stubbornly ahead at the road and not at Helena next to her who is fiddling with her phone.
"Oh, no, I've already looked that through back home!"
Myka's hands squeeze the steering wheel a bit too hard as Helena doesn't take her up on the prompting to settle down and read in silence, instead staying annoyingly distracting as she leans forward and almost presses her phone against the windshield to get a photo of the road ahead.
Myka's eyes flicker to Helena's arms. It's a good thing the road is straight and there's no traffic or she might get them into an accident ogling Helena's biceps.
Helena snaps picture after picture, then turns sideways to get more snapshots of the landscape.
"Do you really need so many photos?"
"Well, need is a strong word, but whyever not? I need to take advantage of this gadget! You know, back before I was bronzed, if we wanted anything beautiful to look at, we would have to commission a painting or engage a photographer, so many beautiful little moments lost that no-one was able to capture at the time! And now I have a little camera of my own wherever I go!"
"Don't you draw yourself? I mean, you wouldn't have to commission anyone," Myka asks, glad to keep the conversation about beautiful things going instead of focusing on how beautiful Helena is.
"Oh, but I've never been any good at capturing beauty in ink. Some funny sketches, and of course precise schematics, those I can do without issue, but painting a landscape or a person, really capturing a sunset? I'm afraid I'm at a loss as of how to even start."
"Well, the phone's gonna disappoint you about the sunset. They usually look like shit on camera."
"Oh, how lovely to know that there are still beautiful things in real life that cannot be captured by technology!" Helena exclaims in joy, and the thing is, Myka thinks she really means it.
She quietly shakes her head, chuckling to herself. Of course, whether Helena means it because the natural beauty of the sunset shouldn't be captured at all, or because she's glad that there's a niche for her to build a better sunset phone camera, that is a different question.
"...I think your schematics are beautiful," Myka blurts out despite the topic already having kind of moved on. She just needs Helena to know that. "I had an art print of one as a child."
"You did?" Helena turns towards her with wide eyes.
Myka feels herself blush.
"Yes, I - and it wasn't like a custom thing, so it's not just me who likes them 'cause I'm biased -" 'god, why did she just say that?!'- "I mean, because I know you personally and all."
"Of course, you didn't yet know me personally as a child!" Helena laughs, and Myka could hit herself for not realizing that, Helena is really way too distracting!
"It's nice to know my drawings have been appreciated, I suppose," Helena adds, leaning back in her chair, and when Myka sneaks a glance at her she can see a content little smile on Helena's lips.
All her embarrassment is worth it as long as she can make Helena smile.
~~~
part 2 of ? • prompt me! • more W13 / web link
Update: part 3!
