Headcanon: when OJ came out to Celina she had no idea what gay or bisexual is
OJ: Mama Li? I am....BI
Celina: uh? Bye?? *wonders why she says goodbye to her when she just walked in*
[Later when things get explained to her smiles and tells OJ she loves her no matter what and will be happy to see her love another person no matter what gender]
This was a request by @nayylas on the request thread. I hope it's as cute as you hoped <3
~~~
As the girl finished packing her bag, she couldn’t help harassing Victor one last time, hoping he might finally cave. “So, can you tell me where we’re going now?” she begged, wrapping her arms around Victor’s broad chest and looking up into his eyes. He looked back down at the girl with his face impassable as ever. “Come on, is it really ruining the surprise at this point?”
“Yes,” Victor replied simply. He picked up both of her bags and headed for the door of the apartment, only for the girl to step in front of him with a frown. Victor stepped around her and the girl frowned while reaching out to take his hand. “Stop being so childish or I’ll cancel the vacation. You’ll find out where we’re going when we get to the airport.” He transferred the smaller bag to his other hand and opened the door, waited for the girl to scurry out, and closed it behind him. The girl slid the key into the knob and locked it.
“We’re ready to go!” The girl tugged the bag out of Victor’s right hand and slid her own left into it, settling in with a smile as her fingers filled their usual places. The horizon painted the sky a vibrant set of scarlets and blues while stars began to waken and sparkle in the firmament. Street lamps flickered to life casting yellow circles across the parking lot with firm outlines broken only by the odd vehicle. Victor led the girl to his car and pulled his hand away to unlock the trunk.
Victor and the girl dropped the suitcases on top of Victor’s bags and Victor hurried to open the girl’s door. He smiled softly at her as she slid into the seat and reached across to buckle her seatbelt himself. His warm breath on her neck send a shiver down the girl’s spine and caused the hair on her arms to stand at attention. A nervous giggle escaped her lips and Victor paused to look her in the eye. “What are you giggling about?” he asked, a roguish look in his eye. The girl shook her head silently and Victor swooped in for a fly-by kiss, pulling back and closing the car door before the girl’s brain could process what had occurred.
“Hey!” she cried when she finally caught up to what was happening. “You didn’t even give me a chance to kiss you back.” Victor chuckled at the girl’s crossed arms and scowled face for a moment before leaning over and allowing her to plant her own kiss on his cheek. “Okay, I’m happy now.”
“Glad you’re so easily pleased.” Victor’s voice was full of teasing. The girl’s face clouded again and Victor took her hand, entwining their fingers and giving it a squeeze. This seemed to appease the girl who leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. “Don’t sleep too deeply, dummy. I can’t carry you and all the bags into the airport.” His words were soft and barely registered as the girl’s breathing evened and slowed. Victor smiled and stroked the back of the girl’s hand with his thumb as he drove.
A peaceful quiet filled the cab of the car. Only the white noise of the car moving and the soft squeak of the girl’s snores filled Victor’s ears, allowing him plenty of time for contemplation. This was a big trip and he probably should have warned the girl beforehand…but surprising a dummy was one of his favorite pastimes. Surely she would light up when she found out where they were going. The thought brought a small smile to Victor’s face, softening it in the moonlight.
~
“Hey, wake up my little dummy. I told you not to sleep too deeply! We’re here.”
The girl’s eyes opened just a crack and she groggily processed Victor’s blurry face before her. An incoherent stream of what she probably thought was language slipped from her lips and Victor reached over to unbuckle her seatbelt. “Come on, that’s enough of that. We mustn’t be late. This is the last flight to our destination until morning.” She let out a soft groan, but the girl obediently climbed out of the car and blinked a few times. Victor handed her one of her bags, grabbed the remaining two, and began crossing the parking lot.
Being left behind snapped the girl back to reality and she hurried along to catch up, reaching his side in seconds. The pair entered the airport proper and Victor sidled up to the counter to drop off their bags. “Ah, Mr. Li! Good to see you again. Headed to Paris again? It’s supposed to be lovely there this week. You’re all set!” The employee smiled and handed Victor his boarding passes. Victor nodded pleasantly and took the girl’s hand to haul her off toward security.
“Paris?” she asked, eyes bright and misty. A sudden sense of elation filled her heart as she imagined all of the romantic excursions Victor had surely planned for them. It was the city of love, after all. Most of the imagined activities included cafes, bakeries, and other fancy restaurants full of delicious offerings. She could feel herself beginning to salivate at the very thought. Victor nodded and handed the girl her own boarding pass as they walked, Victor seemingly knowing the airport so well he didn’t need to even look where he was going.
“Yes, we’re going to Paris. We’ll be staying at my mother’s house, so I expect you to be on your best behavior. I don’t have high hopes, but please attempt not to embarrass either of us.”
The inner film of delicious foods came to a screeching halt and a sudden sense of shyness washed over the girl. Victor was taking her…to meet his mother? Her hand involuntarily clenched and her steps came to a stop. Victor tugged her ahead and she resumed walking, hoping that her nerves weren’t showing as strongly on her face as they were in her stomach. This…was big. She could picture the tender look on his face whenever he spoke of her and the reverent way in which he recounted her. It suddenly felt as if she were being taken to experience one of Victor’s most precious and prized places.
Victor quickly fell asleep as the plane rumbled down the runway and lifted into the air. The girl lifted the arm rest between them and draped herself across his chest with her ear over his heart. Victor shifted slightly and wrapped his arms around her before settling more deeply into sleep. She, on the other hand, couldn’t quite seem to overcome the butterflies in her stomach enough to drift away. Even the comfort of Victor’s warm embrace and steady heart beat took an age to relax her enough to fall asleep.
The sun had begun peeking over the horizon when Victor’s eyelids fluttered open. He shifted around a bit to release himself from the girl’s grasp and checked his watch. The seatbelt sign was flashing, signaling that they must have slept right through the landing announcement. “Wake up, darling. We’ll be landing soon.” The girl blearily sat up and buckled her belt, yawning and reaching for Victor’s hand. He slipped his hand into hers and she immediately dozed back off until the doors opened and the passengers began to disembark.
An absolutely beautiful Parisian morning greeted the pair as they stepped out of the airport and climbed into the cab. Victor couldn’t help but notice that the girl seemed rather twitchy, even when he enfolded her hand in both of his. Through the windows could be seen couples strolling up and down the sidewalks, laughing and smiling as they went in and out of the various shops. Flowers were in full bloom, coloring the streets in every shade of red, yellow, orange, and purple. None of this seemed to cheer the girl either. “Hey. You’re quiet and that’s abnormal. Tell me what is on your mind.”
She shook her head, her cheeks flushing as she avoided Victor’s gaze. Victor took her chin in his hand and tilted her head to meet his eyes. “Come on, you’re not hiding anything from me. You’ve been acting strangely ever since I mentioned staying at my mother’s house. You’re not uncomfortable with that, are you? I can book you a hotel instead.”
“No, that’s not necessary!” the girl insisted, waving her hands and shaking her head. “I’m just…a little nervous to meet her. What if she doesn’t like me? I know how important your mother is to you, and I would feel awful if I became a problem…”
Victor began to chuckle. “That is what you’re worried about? Dummy, you have nothing to worry about. You are important to me and so I’m sure my mother will adore you. Just don’t let her feed you until you burst.” His reassurance seemed to be moderately effective; the girl’s shoulders relaxed slightly and she finally reclined in her seat. Victor wasn’t just saying things to make her feel better, either; he was absolutely positive his mother was going to love the girl as much as he did.
They pulled up to the campus and the cab drove down the shady lane that led to his mother’s home. Memories filled Victor’s mind and a true, genuine smile settled on his face. No sooner had they passed the garden wall than Victor saw his mother’s beaming smile. She was standing on the step waving brightly, holding the awning pole as if she were using it to keep herself from rushing toward the car. The taxi pulled up to the front step and came to rest, and Victor hurried to exit and open the girl’s door.
“It’s so good to see you, Vic!” The woman rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Victor’s torso, pinning his arms to his sides. She buried her face in his shirt for a moment before leaning back to look in his eyes. “You seem to be filling out quite nicely and you look quite happy, my son. This girl of yours has done you a world of good! Come on now, introduce this little cutie you’ve brought with you!”
Victor’s ears and cheeks burned pink and he coughed as he pulled away from his mother’s grasp and turned to the girl. He gestured for her to join them and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Mother, this is my girlfriend. Please don’t scare her off?” Victor’s mother laughed and took the girl’s hand in her own, placing her other hand on top the same way Victor always did.
“Wonderful to meet you, my dear. I have to thank you: I’ve never seen my little Vic as happy as he is in all the pictures he sends me. And he looks even happier in person!” She pulled the girl into a hug and gave her a kiss on each cheek. Victor took this opportunity to disappear around the back of the taxi to grab their bags (and take a moment to recompose himself) while his mother grabbed the girl’s hand and dragged her inside. He waved off the cab and awkwardly carried all three bags inside.
Inside, where his mother already had the girl sitting in the parlor with a cup of fragrant tea and an album from his childhood. Bright sunlight filtered through the large, open windows and danced with the dust motes as they drifted through the air. The familiar scent of roses and cinnamon hit his nose and Victor pulled in a deep breath. He crossed the entryway and kitchen to put their bags in the bedrooms before joining the women in the parlor.
“Wasn’t he so cute in that uniform?” his mother was saying, pointing to a picture of Victor standing next to a horse in riding gear. “He has always had a way with animals, not that he would ever admit it.” She turned her head to wink at Victor, who again flushed. The girl nodded and scooted over slightly to make room for Victor on the settee. He obliged and gently dropped to the familiar seat, his mind having trouble processing that the girl was here. Though he had considered bringing her to meet his mother for quite some time…it had never felt quite right. At least, that was the excuse he gave himself.
Victor held the girl’s hand as she dove head-first into his past, devouring the images with her eyes and embedding them in her heart. There were so many years she had missed out on, so many experiences they had been unable to share! She had relaxed remarkably quickly for having spent the last hours panicking over this meeting, enough that Victor felt he could leave her side. “I’m going to make some breakfast, mother. I trust you can keep my girl entertained in my absence?”
His mother laughed, a bright and cheerful sound, and nodded the affirmative. “I can entertain her, but I can’t guarantee you’ll approve of all the stories I could tell about my handsome little man.” Both women laughed further and Victor evacuated the room, figuring he could at least spare himself the embarrassment of seeing the girl’s reaction to his childhood tales.
No sooner had Victor disappeared around the corner than his mother’s face grew a little more solemn and tender. The girl couldn’t help but feel like she had discovered where Victor got his features. Those dark eyes…the weight of the world reflected in her irises. His mother took the girl’s hand and lowered her head slightly for just a moment. “Thank you for taking care of my little boy. He may not be the little boy in the photographs anymore, but I will always worry about him. I really haven’t ever seen him beam the way he does when he looks at or talks about you. It seems he has finally found a purpose and a light that leads him back to safe harbor.”
The girl wasn’t quite sure what to say. She simply smiled and turned her head slightly to hide the pinkish tinge that had taken over her cheeks. “He’s pretty great too,” she finally replied, her ears joining the pink party. “And he absolutely adores you, too. Every time he talks about you, his eyes light up. It’s adorable.” The two women smiled at each other for a few moments before the girl gave the older woman’s hand a squeeze. “I’m going to go check on Victor.”
She scurried away, leaving Victor’s mother smiling after her. Yes, this girl was definitely the treasure that Victor had described her as. She couldn’t imagine a better partner for her Vic. The woman leaned back in her chair and sipped at her tea, feeling more content than she had words to describe.
“If you’re going to be in here, make yourself useful and slice this melon for me.” Victor didn’t even turn around and the girl momentarily wondered how he knew she was even there. Do you have to ask? This is Victor, after all…she smiled to herself and began carefully slicing the cantaloupe, humming as she worked. “Got your fill of stories, did you?”
“I just missed the current you,” the girl replied, her teasing tone velvety in Victor’s ears. She slid the sliced melon into a bowl and set the knife aside before wrapping her arms around Victor from behind and burying her face in his shoulder blades. She breathed in his scent deeply and closed her eyes, wanting to make sure this moment was clearly burned into her brain. Victor finished cooking the ham slices with one hand, the other resting comfortably over the girl’s clasped hands. They moved with what seemed to be practiced grace, neither seeming to be inhibited by their attachment.
The girl hummed happily while Victor cooked, and when he was finished he turned and wrapped his own hand around the small of her back. A soft piano melody drifted into the kitchen from the parlor and the pair began to dance, small movements in perfect sync. Their eyes locked and refused to release as the rest of the world faded away.
So lost in the moment were they that neither of the young couple noticed when the song ended and quiet filled the kitchen. Victor’s mother stepped around the corner and paused in the entrance to the kitchen, smiling when she saw the two lost in each other. Rather than stepping in and embarrassing them, she returned to the sitting room to wait for breakfast to arrive. She didn’t have to wait long; Victor and the girl soon arrived with an assortment of fruits, pastries, breakfast meats, and a pot of coffee. They carefully arranged the offerings on the coffee table and enjoyed a peaceful breakfast in the sunshine.
At the conclusion of their meal, Victor placed his napkin on the plate and leaned back, pulling the girl into his arms. “After we clean up breakfast, we are going to do a little sightseeing. My little dummy here would never let me hear the end of it if I brought her to Paris, but didn’t take her around to see the sights. We should be back this evening in time for dinner.”
“You two don’t worry about cleaning up. I’ll take care of it! You just go out and enjoy yourselves. Soak up every moment, you hear me? You’re only young once. The dishes aren’t important.” Victor’s mother smiled and gathered up the plates, scowling at Victor when he still tried to help. “Go on, get going! I’ll be right here when you return.”
Victor finally nodded and took the girl’s hand, helping her up from the couch and patting his pockets to ensure he had his wallet and phone. “Very well. I love you, Mother. We will see you later.”
“I love you too, Vic,” she replied, standing up to walk the couple to the door. “Have fun and be safe!” She kissed Victor on the cheek and again he flushed, hurrying out the door to escape any further affection. His mother watched him go, eyes glistening as they focused on the entwined hands and tender looks of the young couple disappearing down the lane.
