"Gods fucking—" Beau just screamed and threw the flower crown across the room. Well, calling it a flower crown was a bit of a stretch considering it wasn't tied together, like at all. The flowers were all crumpled and there wasn't a definitive shape.
She sighed harshly out of her nose. She had been trying to make that flower crown for hours with nothing to show for it. It had taken even longer to find flowers she thought Yasha would like since it was now autumn and flowers weren't blooming as frequently.
Beau had been really busy at the Cobalt Soul and just wanted to do something nice for her extremely patient girlfriend. But apparently, her fingers that could find the weakest point on any creature's body, couldn't even string together flowers.
She was very close to giving up when a very bubbly voice popped into her head. "Hiiii! It's meee! How are you doing, Beau? How is Yasha? Are you guys having funn?" Beau could hear the tiefling wiggling her eyebrows. "Let me know if you need anything! Doo-doo donuts!"
That's it! Jester would know how to do this! And so would— "Hey, Jester!" Beau replied. "I'm doing good. So is Yasha! Hey could you meet me outside of the Cobalt Soul in Rexxentrum? Oh! And could you bring Veth?"
Beau winced, realizing she had ran over the word count.
Jester popped into her head once more. "Hey you totally cut out on that last word so I don't know what you want me to bring, but I'm bringing Veth! Hope that's—"
Beau sighed in relief. "That's perfect, Jessie! Thank you."
Moments later, a bubbly blue tiefling and a curious but cynical halfling appeared in front of the Soul with a ginger wizard in tow. Beau had never been so happy to see her friends before.
Jester threw her arms around Beau. "Hiiii! I hope you don't mind us bringing Caleb too. We kinda needed him to teleport us from Nicodranas."
Beau sank into Jester ever so slightly. No one gives stress relieving hugs like Jester, except for Yasha of course. "No, that's great actually. He might be able to help with this too."
"What exactly is this thing you need help with?" Veth asked, eyes narrowed slightly.
Beau exhaled and looked at the sky. "Okay, look, this is going to be very embarrassing to ask. But, this is for Yasha so I'm willing to swallow my pride. Follow me."
With that, she turned and walked into the Cobalt Soul, making a beeline for her quarters. She knew they were following by the sound of footsteps, so she didn't bother turning around to check.
Once they got to her rooms in the Soul, Beau ushered them all in quickly before shutting and locking the door.
"Whoa! What flower shop threw up in here?" Veth asked.
That description wasn't far off. There were different types of flowers thrown all over the place.
"That's kinda what I need your help with." Beau crossed the room and picked up her ruined flower crown. "So look, I've been working long hours at the Soul lately, being an Expositor and all, and while Yasha has been extremely patient with me, I haven't been spending as much time with her as I'd like to. So! To make it up to her, I thought I'd make a flower crown for her with like jewels and really nice flowers to make up for it, but every time I tried, I kept fucking up and it's stressing me out and I need help. Please?" Beau finally inhaled.
"Of course we'll help, Beau," Jester said at the same time Caleb went, "Beauregard? Saying please? The world really must be in dire straits."
"Ha. Ha. Ha. Shut up!" And then, more genuinely, "Thanks, you guys."
Hours later, Jester, Veth, and Caleb had successfully taught Beau how to make a really nice flower crown adorned with jewels complementing the blue and white flowers. They stayed there long enough that Beau helped the others put jewels in their very own flower crowns and matching ones for their respective partners.
Jester squealed in delight. "Beau! These are so beautiful!" She waved two deep blue and green flower crowns, sapphires and emeralds scattered throughout. "Thank you!"
"I mean as bad as your flower work was," Veth began, "who knew how good with gems you were." She was holding two yellow and teal flowered crowns, cut citrine and blue topaz making the flowers shimmer in the lamplight. "How did you even find all these gems on such short notice?"
Beau rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, some of them are from my personal stash. The others I just stole."
"You what?" the halfling screeched
"Oh please. As if you're one to talk Ms. 'Sticky Fingers'."
"That's Mrs. Sticky Fingers to you."
Beau just rolled her eyes and didn't respond. She turned her eyes to the wizard who was just standing in a corner. "You good, man? You haven't said anything yet."
Caleb was cradling two flower crowns with purple and orange flowers, amber and amethyst glittering like stars among the petals. He stared at them as if they were the most precious things he'd ever seen. When he looked up at Beau, tears lined his eyes.
Beau's immediate reaction was panic. "Hey, we can remake the crowns if you don't like them. I think we have leftover flowers and—"
Caleb cut her off. "These are the most beautiful creations to exist. Thank you."
"Yeah, uh, sure. You're welcome?" Beau was very uncomfortable with the intensity of his gratitude. "Thank you guys for helping me with this. I think she'll really like this."
"Of course she'll like it, silly!" Jester exclaimed. "You made it!"
"Yeah, I hope so." Beau could feel her neck heat. She pulled them all into a group hug. "Thank you guys so much for this. I really appreciate your help."
Jester happily hugged back, Caleb just let it happen, not reciprocating nor pulling away, and Veth hugged back for a second before trying to pull away.
"You're crushing the crowns," she screeched. "Let go!"
"Oh shit! Right yeah."
Beau escorted them to the Teleportation Room in the Soul and hugged them once more before letting them teleport away. And with a deep breath, Beau started off for home, flower crown in hand.
She pushed open the door to their small cottage just outside the city and was immediately met with the smell of fresh bread. Beau melted a little at the domesticity of it all.
"Yasha? Babe? I'm home!"
Beau kicked the door shut and made her way to the kitchen. Yasha was standing at the counter and was just putting a fresh loaf down in front of her.
When Yasha looked up and saw her, her face lit up with the biggest smile. "Hi, babe!"
She came around the counter and kissed Beau deeply, hands framing her face. Beau happily leaned into it, flower crown hidden behind her back.
"Hi," Beau breathed.
"Hi." Yasha's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Was there something you needed bebe?"
"Yes!" Beau's face heated at the eagerness in her tone. "Well, I mean, I wanted to give you something."
Beau pulled the flower crown out from behind her back, holding it between them. There were daisies and baby's-breath and bluebells and cornflowers woven together in a neat crown. Storm gray gems glittered in between the petals with diamonds making an appearance every so often. Yasha gasped.
"I know I've been working a lot," Beau said, not meeting her love's eyes, "and you've been extremely patient, not minding the late hours, which I'm extremely grateful for. But I miss you and I don't like going these long stretches without seeing you. I can't promise that my schedule will ease up soon, but I can promise that I won't waste the time we do get together."
Beau raised on to her toes to place the crown on Yasha's head. The colors complemented her white hair beautifully.
"Oh that looks lovely on you," the monk breathed. She shook her head, attempting to clear it. "I know how much you love flowers, so I thought I'd make you a crown because you've always been queen-like to me."
It was easy to see the blush form on Yasha's pale face and even easier to see the tears welling in her eyes. But Beau knew because of Caleb that these were happy tears and didn't panic. Soon, her vision was obscured as the tall aasimar once again swooped in for a kiss. Beau felt her feet leave the ground as Yasha straightened, so she wrapped her legs around her girlfriend's waist.
After several moments, Beau pulled back for air. "So you like it then?" she panted.
Yasha rested her forehead against the human's. "It's the best gift I've ever been given." She smiled. "Except for your love of course."
Beau groaned. "Do you want some mac with that cheese?"
Yasha giggled and placed a kiss on Beau's nose before setting her on her feet. Somehow after all these years, this woman never failed to give her butterflies. She hoped that would never change.
"I don't have macaroni but I do have bread." Yasha cut into the loaf with a knife. "Would you like a slice, babe?"
"Would I ever?"
Beau slid in close to Yasha, and the latter handed her a still hot slice of bread. They spent the rest of the evening chatting and enjoying each other's company, occasionally making out lazily. All in all, it was a perfect evening and Beau couldn't wait for the many more to come.
