Verosika struggles with saying “I love you”— after all the first person she said it to, left her after hearing. But Odette doesn’t pressure nor does she rush verosika to say it, she allows for it to be natural and for it actually mean something and for that— Verosika is eternally grateful.
Odette doesn't say a word when Verosika's annual "Halloween" party comes around. She can't say that she gets it -- she also has her own share of bad experiences with exes, but never any that made her want to rip out their aorta and stomp it into the dirt, like Verosika seems wont to do with Blitzo.
But Verosika had explained pretty early in their relationship that it's not about Blitzo anymore -- yeah, she'd been a devastated young demon in love when he'd left her in the lurch, but Verosika has moved on since then. These days, the parties are about helping all those other victims who've been abandoned by that two-timing, selfish prick. The Goetia prince Stolas, most recent of all.
Maybe it's because of Blitzo, or maybe because Odette also just doesn't want to rush things, but the first time an "I love you" is dropped is after the latest party. Verosika comes home a lot less...wound up than Odette had expected. Tired and exhausted, yes, but her partner seems almost...relieved? Less stressed than that morning? Whatever happened, Verosika doesn't come crawling into bed needing reassuring cuddles like Odette had expected her to. Instead, she just changes into her PJs and climbs in next to Odette like it's any other evening, moving softly so she doesn't wake up her partner.
It's useless, though, because Odette had already been lying there awake, waiting up for her, unable to sleep. When Verosika sees Odette's eyes glowing back at her in the dark from under a bundle of blankets, she smiles.
"Hey...how was your party?"
"Good!" Verosika is oddly...chipper for it being 3 in the morning and having run on adrenaline and Beelzejuice all day. She seems unusually sober, too.
"Are you...okay?" Odette asks, wincing a little bit when Verosika's ice-cold legs and tail come into contact with her body, and she snuggles up under Odette's chin. Verosika's definitely been in the human realm, all right. It's always so fucking freezing there.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
Verosika's smile does falter a little, at hearing his name. But surprisingly, amazingly, it doesn't seem to be affecting her the way Odette had thought it would. She doesn't grumble or yell or do any of the stuff she was doing this afternoon, while getting ready. What exactly had happened that night? Had something happened, or is she just overthinking this?
"Yeah, well..." Verosika starts, "I tapped out early. Tex wrapped everything up for me."
"What? Really?" Odette is surprised. She'd expected the party to be an all-night affair. She supposes it is rather odd that Verosika is back before dawn. "Did something happen?"
"Yeah," Verosika answers, just letting that response linger in the air for a while. She doesn't bother to elaborate. Odette's not sure if she should ask for details. "You know, babydoll, I might see if some of the others wanna run the shin-dig next year. I just wasn't...feelin' it tonight."
Now, that's extremely unlike Verosika. She has always been Blitzo's #1 Hater and plans these parties months in advance. She has the T-shirts, bumper stickers, and stacks of planners to prove it. What gives???
"Okay, wait, now I know something's up. There is absolutely no way you'd be saying this if something major didn't happen. Spill it! Are you okay? Did Blitzo...die or something? Why are you taking this so well?"
Verosika sits up to be able to look down at Odette in the dark. A pair of concerned, red eyes meet gold and pink, and Verosika sighs contently. She reaches a hand up to rub Odette's cheek, then runs it through her hair and scratches Odette's scalp lightly with her claws, the way she likes.
"He apologized. Finally. And I guess I just realized it doesn't...bother me anymore, now that I have you. I'm not over what he did to me, but I'm over him. I still put up the act, to get everyone in the mood, but to be honest, my heart just wasn't in it. And maybe that's the goal of the parties. To get to a place where I didn't need 'em anymore. The whole time, I just wanted it to be over, so I could be back here with you...where my heart truly is."
Odette looks up at Verosika, her red eyes shiny and wide like glistening saucers. She grips the blanket tightly to her chest, squeezing it between her claws. Is Verosika really saying...?
Odette's not going to cry...she's not going to cry...Odette Carmine doesn't cry!
"I love you, too, sweetie!" Odette says, a little too excited. She sits up to give Verosika an affectionate peck on the cheek. Then the peck turns into a passionate kiss, and okay, maybe a few tears leak out around her eyes, and the kiss turns a little heavy. "All night I just wanted you to be here! I missed you so much!"
Verosika does get a little emotional, then, too. She falls sideways into Odette's laps, throwing up her arms exaggeratedly and grabbing Odette's face between her claws for emphasis.
"I was so miserable, babydoll!!! As soon as the concert was over, I just hung out on the balcony. Then Blitzo and his whiny ass tried to ruin my party. But he was such a sorry sack of shit over Stolas dumping him, I almost...felt sorry for him! Me?! Verosika Mayday, sorry for Blitzo Buckzo?! I must really be losing it!"
"Nah," Odette smiles, leaning down to give Verosika another kiss on her forehead. Her girlfriend's skin is salty from sweat and booze, but she almost doesn't care. They are having a moment. "You're not losing it. That just means you're finally growing up to be a big girl who doesn't give a shit about no man!"
Verosika looks up at her girlfriend, grinning slyly. She pulls Odette down closer to her face by her nightshirt collar, her voice laced with a hint of spice. "Watch it. Don't think I'll take that from you just because you're hot."
Odette laughs and blushes. "Noted."
They settle back into bed again, side by side, Verosika's head tucked up snuggly under Odette's chin. Before the two of them fall asleep, Odette vaguely hears Verosika mumble something else about Blitzo, and manages to pick up the last thing she says before nodding off.
"Maybe I should consider passing the torch. That fucker Dennis looked like he really needed a leg up tonight... Maybe more than a leg... Sorry little fucker."