Exercise was a part of Rebecca’s life going back to her youth when she started playing football. She continued with the sport through her childhood and teenage years, but as she grew older, it was harder to find the time and people to do more than kick the ball around. By the time she was ending high school, she found a place for herself with the X-Men and sports were replaced with training and exercising in the gym. If Rebecca was going to be putting her life on the line, she wanted to be as close to peak condition as she could be, and unless she wanted to give up sweets and half of her favorite foods, that meant committing to working out.

Yoga was something different. It had health benefits and assisted with keeping her in shape and improving her flexibility, but it was also allowed Rebecca to recenter herself. Life was hectic. She worked a lot between all her roles, donning her hats as a teacher, vlogger, and superhero. Despite everything on her plate, Rebecca was trying to keep an active social life beyond her roommate. The only thing she was not doing was dating; after everything that happened, Rebecca was not looking to commit to anything that came with emotional vulnerability. She had an… arrangement with Gawain (and Maya) that she was willing to enjoy, but she could not see herself in something serious again.

It was hard not to think about Agnes. Rebecca was trying, because she knew Agnes wanted space and they both accepted the need to move on. Occasionally, Rebecca questioned if she made the right choice. She could have chased Agnes down; with her X-Men connections, Rebecca could find a way to figure out where Agnes went to start her new life. What would she have said? That Agnes was wrong? She wasn’t, and that was the problem. Their lives were becoming warped inward, sucked into their relationship as it became part of everything either woman did. They were co-dependent, treating one another like a safe, comfortable space, and it was limiting them. The last thing Rebecca wanted to do was limit Agnes.

Some days were easier than others. October twenty-first was not one of those days. Rebecca knew the day all too well; when you dated someone for several years, you committed their birthday to memory. The day had many fond remembrances of birthday dinners and nights out with friends, and those thoughts were bittersweet in the past tense.

Rebecca was conflicted. She wanted to message Agnes; nothing big or intrusive, but just something to wish her a happy birthday. If she still had the same phone number, what harm could one message do? That was, of course, if Agnes had the same number. Knowing she took the extra step to ghost her would hurt, but Rebecca reminded herself that any steps Agnes needed to take for herself were fair and not for her to judge.

With the “Should I or Shouldn’t I” question weighing on her, Rebecca was glad to have her weekly yoga session scheduled. Ideally, she could tune out the noise of her world, reach a more peaceful place, and then decide what to do about Agnes. She entered the little yoga studio with her black yoga shorts and pale pink compression tank top, setting down her yoga mat to claim a spot.

It was her birthday. She knew that much. While her memories weren’t there with 100% clarity, there were many facts and bits of information that she had no doubt were true. For one, she knew that she enjoyed sweet things, she loved some of the trashiest television shows, and lastly, she knew when her birthday was. Today was her birthday, October Twenty-First and she was twenty-four years old. Admittedly, she had given herself a hell of a present with her current bodily upgrade, but she was feeling particularly greedy today. It was her birthday, so what was wrong with wanting a little extra present or two?

Ever since she came back to New York, Agnes had been trying to work on her plans. She still had yet to run into Becca, the woman who had abandoned her so cruelly, but how she was going to pay her back for these favors? The thoughts rebounded in her head as she set out, enjoying what she could of life and making a lovely little nest for herself, but her main objective was always in the back of her mind. The redhead needed to see the new and improved Agnes, but it all depended on the “when” and the “where”?

It started off simply enough with some light stalking. Agnes could still remember most of Rebecca’s favorite haunts, including her favorite hobbies. While she was certain she could catch the young woman at the mansion, that was not a reunion she needed to subject herself to just yet. Too many eyes, too many people who knew who she used to be. No, she needed to hit them all individually, break them down little piece by little piece. And she would start with her main target.

After several days of no shows and only a few glimpses, Agnes finally found the routine that she knew would work -- the yoga studio. The Scot had always threw herself into the stretching exercise, probably to make her body more flexible for the number of beaus that she had behind Agnes’ back. After all, you don’t stretch enough before hand, you could get seriously hurt. She remembered that she used to join Rebecca for these little romps, so why not again? Was it so farfetched to want to exercise on your birthday?

Agnes had arrived at the yoga studio a bit early. There were only a few people already there and most were stretching out, bending, and providing the most delectable of eye candy for the raven-haired woman. Additionally, she too turned a few heads, something for which the insect queen rather enjoyed.

With her new, more curvaceous body, the former violinist strolled into the studio, her ladybug design yoga mat rolled up under her arm. She was dressed in tight, black-and-green striped yoga pants with a heather-gray knotted top that exposed her flat, bare stomach and struggled to keep her chest decent. A small flick of a smile on her lips, she strolled towards the back of the room, setting her mat down and proceeded to pull a bottle of water from her bag. Her stingers felt a little itchy beneath the skin of her palms, eager to penetrate one of these human dredges but it was a satisfaction that would have to wait.

She cracked the top of the bottle, took a short sip, and then set it back into her bag. Idly she started to chat up a pretty brunette who was stretching out when she heard the doors open. She caught the scent before the vision that strolled in. Her sapphire eyes swept over the young woman’s familiar form. She knew those yoga clothes, had seen Rebecca in them plenty of times. It used to entice her but she felt differently now. Chewing on her bottom lip, continued to watch the redhead as she claimed a pink mat and set her stuff down.

It was time give Rebecca the show she had been waiting to give her.

Strolling across the room, leaving the brunette talking to open space, Agnes moved towards the front, passing Rebecca, and not even stopping to acknowledge her. Rather, the scent of honeysuckle filled the air, wafting from the young woman’s pores, as she took a position a row ahead of Rebecca and to the far right. She wasn’t close enough for Rebecca to speak to her, but she would definitely get an eyeful once class started. So, kneeling down, she unrolled her mat and started her warm up stretches. She was ready for the fun to begin...

It was hard to determine what “getting back to normal” would look like for Rebecca, because it had been almost six years since her life felt anything close to normal. She developed her mutation, fell in love with a girl for the first time, and joined the X-Men. Once that almost felt normal, she was flung into a post-apocalyptic nightmare, lost her love, got her back, and ended up consumed by some mutant with a dimensional stomach, nearly driving her insane. That thankfully never felt normal, but it did lead to a recovery period in the hopes of renormalizing her life with Agnes, ending with the mistake to leave the country without her. Even then, life without Agnes was starting to feel normal, but she made her return to New York and the return to Agnes shook things up once again.

And of course, suddenly, Rebecca was learning to accept her new life apart from Agnes. She wondered how long things would feel “normal” this time, but she was making an honest effort. She was not pining or brooding, and she was allowing herself the time to move on. Her friends with benefits situation was nothing exclusive or set in stone, so Rebecca was trying to embrace her new lifestyle. There was a perky blonde in the yoga class Rebecca made a habit of talking to; nothing overt or bold, but rather friendly conversation with the hints of flirting. It was a start, she decided.

Rebecca was sitting on her mat, getting her preliminary stretching done and talking to Brooklyn, the aforementioned perky blonde, who was on the mat beside her. Just like any other morning yoga session, things were going well. Brooklyn worked in advertising, so some of the stories she had from work were silly enough to rival Rebecca’s stories as a mutant teacher, which was a testament to the absurdity of advertising clients. The chat was engaging enough that Rebecca did not give a second thought to the people walking around her to claim their own spots on the floor.

The only thing that could distract Rebecca was the sudden influx of honeysuckle. The scent was brief, but it was unmistakable. It was not the exact same smell, but it naturally elicited memories of Agnes, whose perfume was often laced with the sweet scent.

Caught by surprise, Rebecca turned her neck on a swivel, looking around uncertainly. Whoever was wearing the scent, they had passed seconds earlier, and with the size of the class, there was no easy way to pick them out of the crowd.

“Becca? Earth to pretty redhead?

Snapping back to reality, Rebecca returned her focus to Brooklyn. ”Sorry, Ah thoucht Ah heard someain Ah know,” she lied, before quickly recovering. ”Th’ compliment was a nice tooch, by th’ way.” She grinned and all was forgiven, but Rebecca found herself subconsciously looking over Brooklyn’s shoulder at nearby girls with dark hair. It was preposterous, but it was not easy to suddenly stop seeing Agnes everywhere she was not. There was one black-haired girl Rebecca could have sworn was looking at her for a brief moment, and something about her felt familiar, but she pushed the thought from her mind; there were very few people she knew who deserved the bombshell moniker as much as the raven-haired woman.

All it took was a glance. After Agnes had walked passed Becca and claimed her spot in the yoga studio, she knelt down and rolled out her mat. With that done, she straightened up and began to stretch. The class would begin soon and while she was having fun being flirtatious with other members in the room, she definitely wanted to save her best game for her former lover. So he remained aloof to anyone else’s attention, especially a thin, yet muscular bearded man who tried to start up a conversation with her from in front of her. She gave the man a sweet smile, a tilt of her head, and then casually extended one middle finger towards him, adding a wink and pursed lips. That seemed to calm him down.

Her hands to her sides, she casually turned at her waist, stretching out her muscles and using the motion as an excuse to scan the room. The action afforded her a chance to glance at the redhead for only the briefest of moments. She was looking in her direction, perplexed about something. Agnes didn’t meet her gaze, instead looking over her, letting out a small breath and turned back to face forward. The smallest smirk pulled at the corners of her lips but that was all the redhead could get for now. Besides, there was a whole class before them in order to tease her.

Of course Agnes did manage to hear snippets of her ex conversing with the blonde bimbo. The other was some kind of professional woman, but not at all impressive to Agnes. Rather she seemed somewhat boring, if she were being honest. Becca kept up her conversation with the woman, but even without looking at her, the insect queen could tell that she was distracted. Gee...she wondered why.

Her legs spread out at shoulder with, Agnes casually bent down, touching the ground with her fingertips. It was a rather provocative pose and one not easily missed. Holding her stretch for a beat, she smirked and straightened up again. Really, she absolutely loved what her body could do now. With another stretch to follow and loosen up her muscles, Agnes made sure that was casual about the displays that her the Scot was receiving, but very calculated. There were...certain things...that Agnes knew Becca liked, so why not aim to please?

Agnes continued on like this, listening where she could to Becca, but engaging in conversations with another woman at her side. Agnes chatted with her, shared a few compliments and a few little playful smiles. Again, this was all for the show, not specifically to find a bedmate. She was just laying the groundwork and leaving little hints of familiarity. If the honeysuckle didn’t work, then the ladybug printed mat she stood on should help ring a few more bells.

“Wow, hun, you really look amazing. Have you done this long?”

Agnes smiled. ”Oh, on and off. My ex was really into it so…” she shrugged. ”I guess the bug bit me too.”

Brooklyn was nice. That was all Rebecca felt toward her yoga partner; she did not catch her attention like Vanessa and there was nothing like the spark she felt for Agnes, but not every girl Rebecca talked to had to be a potential candidate for “the one.” Rebecca didn’t need a “the one” anyway, so where was the harm in spicing up her mornings with a little pick-me-up? Pretty and sweet and easygoing; eventually, Rebecca might consider asking the girl out for drinks, but she would keep expectations minimal.

As it stood, Brooklyn was somehow less captivating that day. It was no fault of her own; Rebecca’s head was just elsewhere. There was Agnes’s potential birthday text message, the mysterious cloud of honeysuckle fading from the air around her, and okay, wow, how was she supposed to ignore that?

Specifically, how was anyone supposed to ignore the raven-haired woman a few mats away as she put on a stunning display of flexibility and a buttocks blessing? It was one thing to sneak a glance of the woman in passing, but Rebecca was pretty sure she lost her place mid-sentence at the sight.

Brooklyn was also sure Rebecca had trailed off, since she was the one the redhead was in the middle of talking to. “Becca? Are you…” The blonde turned and caught a glimpse of the show, replying with a flat, “Oh. Wow. Um, definitely some new blood today, huh?” Brooklyn chuckled weakly, but it was clear she was worried that she lost all the interest she was developing with Rebecca over the past few classes.

Broken from her trance, Rebecca’s face started heating up. ”Jist a wee bit distracting, is aw!” She may not have intended to date the woman, but she was still sweet and Rebecca did not want her thinking she was so shallow she would forget her at the first sight of a nice ass. A perfect ass, reall. A—dear God, she was looking again, what was wrong with her.

The magnetomancer was committed to prioritizing Brooklyn for the rest of class, but the black-haired woman’s words to her neighbor carried and Rebecca felt her heart skip. She could not hear exactly what was being said, but she could have sworn she was hearing Agnes’s voice mere feet away. When she looked more closely, she realized the mat underneath the bombshell was not just red; it had black dots as well, making it a ladybug mat and another similarity to Agnes. Who was this woman exactly?

“W-would you like to move? It wouldn’t bother me.”

Dammit, what was wrong with her? ”Ah’m really sorry, Brook, Ah jist think Ah might maybe know that woman?” Her voice was uncertain because Rebecca did not know if she was telling a lie or the truth.
The redhead had half a mind to get up and just talk to the mystery girl, but the class instructor took her spot at the front of the room, letting everyone know they would be getting started. Rebecca rolled her eyes in frustration at the bad timing, but she got to her feet and prepared to follow along with the instructor, ignoring how she was sneaking constant glances toward the black-haired woman who looked just enough like Agnes to get her imagination racing with possibilities.

>>”Jist a wee bit distracting, is aw!”

The grin extended on her lips, but not enough for the redhead to actually see it. Good, Agnes didn’t want to give away her hand too early. She wanted the Scot to drool a little bit, to let the nagging thought that maybe she knew the brunette fester like a sore in the back of her brain. Agnes would eventually reveal her charade, but for now, she needed to keep up the innocent pretense, but rest assured that by the end of this class, the two of them would be talking again -- however anger inducing she found her to be.

So Agnes continued her stretches, revelling in the fact that she was commanding so much of the redhead’s attention. From position alone, the blonde that her ex was talking to was closer, and her weak attempts at refusing Agnes any real power were futile at best. The insect queen knew she had Becca’s attention and it would only be a matter of time before her willpower broke enough to come talk to her.

>> ”Ah’m really sorry, Brook, Ah jist think Ah might maybe know that woman?”

She only caught snippets of the sentence, but it was enough to make the blue-eyed succubus grin again. Bingo. Still immersed in her stretching, she turned her back towards Becca’s direction as she gave the woman next to her her full attention. They continued to chat, sharing teasing little smiles and glances, all the while Agnes prepared to hear that familiar Scottish lilt. But, darn the luck, it seemed that Becca was saved by the bell. Just as Agnes squared her shoulders, preparing for her arrival, the instructor stepped into class with a smile and a cheerful good-day to everyone. Ugh, what a b*tch.

Still, it was better to savor this than rush headlong into things. All in due time.

---

The lesson was rather invigorating/ The class was a not for beginners and while Agnes had initially only practiced on and off, she still managed to make the task seemed easy. She could vaguely remember her and Rebecca attempting some of these positions at home, before the redhead left for Oxford, but they had quickly descended into inappropriate touching, giggles, and finally falling into a heap of grazing touches upon the floor. The thought made the woman pause for a second before she felt herself tightening her jaw. Annoyances.

She remained focus on her lesson, stretching with perfection, and displaying a perfect High Lunge, Cobra Pose, and a crowd pleaser, the Downward-Facing Dog pose. Part of her wanted to turn to check up on Rebecca but doing so would give away her position. No, she would be patient and she would wait for the fly to come to the honey.

Before she knew it, the class had some to an end and instructor was thanking everyone for the time they spent with her. Agnes gave a small, somewhat respectful bow, and sighed in relief. Kneeling down, she continued to converse with her female partner while she rolled up her mat and started to gather her stuff.

“God, I feel like I tweaked something.”

Agnes snickered. ”Oh I’m sure you’re fine. You did very well.”

“Psh, easy coming from you. What, are you some secret yogi master?”

A scoff. ”Hah, no. Nothing like that,” she said with a careful flip of her hair, sending a waft of honeysuckle back into the air. ”I just had a lot of practice. Growing up, I learned that I had to be…flexible.” She couldn’t help it, the wink had to be added, a gesture which made the brunette she was chatting with bite her lip.

“Mm,” she said with a nod of her head. “I bet there’s a story there.”

Agnes gave her another teasing smile, her ears straining to see if Becca finally grew a large enough pair to come talk to her. ”Oh, you’ve no idea.”

Rebecca felt distinctly uncentered. She started class with the intention of clearing her mind, but the black-haired woman had quickly filled her head and captured her curiosity. There was almost too much evidence to chalk up to coincidence, but the evidence did not add up to her conclusion. She already knew who Agnes’s doppelganger was, so it seemed unlikely to meet another unless Combatant was the copy of a different Agnes Nichols. It was not an outlandish thought; beyond a name, Agnes and Combatant did not share many physical or personality traits. It was a possibility, but a sense of doubt still lingered.

With her mind preoccupied by the woman, it became harder not to find herself looking at her through class. She was something to marvel at, particularly as she went through the poses in yoga pants that clung to her skin. It was uncharacteristic of Rebecca to just admire a woman, but the bombshell had her attention before she started putting herself on display. Between numerous questions and a body that belonged on Page Three, how could Rebecca control her eyes?

The class came to an end with Rebecca’s body feeling refreshed and limber with just the right amount of soreness, which was the only benefit she received from the day’s session. Brooklyn started rolling up her mat and cautiously said, “Well, that was fun, huh?”

Her attempt to start conversation was met with a weak smile. ”Always is. Hey, listen…”

Brooklyn already cut her off, sighing. “I know, I get it. You want to go talk to her.”

It was enough to make Rebecca deflate. ”Ah’m sorry.”

“It’s whatever.” Brooklyn shook her head, but her tone was disappointed. “I almost want to talk to her. Can’t blame you. I’ll… see you around, Becca.”

Somehow, the redhead was sure she had blown her chance at a drink with her perky blonde, but it could not be helped. Curiosity was too strong a motivator in Rebecca’s life, and there was so much to be curious about with the sultry woman. Everyone would only assume she was hoping to chat up the hot new girl in class she had been gawking at, and that might be a reputation she would live with for the rest of her time attending, but if there was even a one percent chance her hunch was correct, she had to give it a shot.

Steeling her nerve, Rebecca approached a pair of women having their own post-yoga small talk. The yoga class was not for queer women, but it boasted an impressive ratio of them nonetheless. The close she got, the more she could hear of her mystery woman’s voice. It was uncanny. It was undeniable. Could it really be, though?

”Excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt, I just was hoping to…” Rebecca was hoping to make her intrusion as polite as possible, but when she finally caught the raven-haired woman’s eyes dead-on, her voice faded away. There were many sights Rebecca would never forget. Things that were so integral to her life and forever ingrained in her memories.

She was looking into Agnes’s eyes. ”Aggie?”

Agnes felt a new sensation of reinvigoration. She was liking the way that this day was going. It was her birthday, she was meeting some cute people to talk to, and, the best of all, she was being a complete and utter distraction to her ex-lover. Really it was going exactly how she wanted it to, down the fact that she was certain that she made a rather enjoyable display for the redhead to drool over. She knew Rebecca, she knew her wants, what excited her, what piqued her interests, and those were aspects that Agnes was going to utilize to its utmost potential.

Still engaged with talking with the woman next to her, she didn’t get to hear much of the conversation that was happening behind her. When she finally felt the presence of someone behind her, a smile pulled at her lips. The woman she was speaking to, raised her eyebrows inquiringly as she peeked over Agnes’ shoulder and eyed the interloping redhead. Agnes, pretended to no notice...until she heard the voice break through the din.

>>”Excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt, I just was hoping to…”

It was bittersweet to hear the woman’s voice. Somewhere, deep in her core, there was a small pang in her heart, the last embers of a dying fire that grew cold with misuse. Still, despite that, it was good to hear the voice, if only as a reminder that her tactics had worked to garner her attention. Slowly she turned around, her dark locks spilling over her shoulder as she turned her head, a modest look of interest on her face.

>>”...Aggie?”

Agnes locked eyes with those mismatched orbs, the colors that she knew she used to love so deeply, but now looked sickly and disgusting to her. Really she didn’t know why she was so entranced by them in the past as she now only view them as targets. She narrowed her eyes, inspecting the young woman, before a smile split across her lips. It was a saddened but sweet one, she had practiced it for a bit now and really felt like she got the genuineness of it down pat.

Her hands curling into one another, laying in front of her, she shyly smiled, her eyes darting cutely as she eyed the redhead in front of her. She gulped, in much the same way she used to whenever she was nervous.

”Becca...wow...h-hi…” she said softly. ”It’s...been a minute…” She turned, looking over her shoulder to the woman whom she was just talking to. The other seemed somewhat rejected, but Agnes gave her a wink that was unseen by the redhead. ”I’m, so sorry, hunny. Maybe...we can talk later? I…” she turned back to Becca, biting her lower lip. ”...should catch up with an old friend.” Once the other slunk away, Agnes took a deep breath, smiling at Becca. ”You...um...you look good.”

It was impossible. It made no sense for Rebecca to be right, and yet she was. Agnes was standing before her, looking quite literally like a new person, but smiling at her with the same timid smile and clear blue eyes she loved so much. When she bit her lip, Rebecca’s heart still fluttered. It was all still there, but of course it was; if two years in England had not been enough to break those old weaknesses, a few months would not come close.

After everything that happened, Rebecca was back to being unsure of how to react. They both decided they needed to find lives apart from one another, but with Agnes so close, it was hard not to hug her; to hold her like she would have months earlier. It was a line she could not cross yet, at least not until she knew more about how Agnes had been since they parted ways.

It had indeed been a minute. It was nice to see Agnes dismissing the other woman. Rebecca was not looking to be petty and Agnes was allowed to talk to and even date whoever she wanted. Rebecca was flirting with Brooklyn and sleeping with Gawain and Maya, which she suddenly felt unjustifiably guilty about. They were both single, but Rebecca still remembered how much of a point of contention it was when Rebecca and Gawain hooked up the first time amidst a breakup. Instead of dwelling on what had already happened or jumping to conclusions, Rebecca was going to enjoy seeing someone she honestly cared about for the first time in months.

Agnes offered a sweet compliment, so Rebecca hoped there were no bad feelings over how things resolved. They parted on good terms, so it made sense for them to be civil and even familiar. Doing her part, Rebecca bit the bullet and leaned in for a quick hug. Not a “I love you and can we start again” hug, but a friendly, affectionate greeting between two people who were at the very least friends.

”Ah look guid? Really?” she asked incredulously, chuckling at the thought. ”Look at ye! Any chance ye can tell me hoo aw ay thes happened?” Rebecca’s hands gestured up and down Agnes’s body, because there was no way she was oblivious to the transformation. ”Thes was nae three months ay squats an’ yoga. Spill.” The body was an obvious change, but even Agnes’s face was different. The shape of her was something new; certainly not bad, but definitely new. Something happened along the way, and Rebecca could not help but be curious.

Oh Agnes was going to enjoy this. After dismissing the young woman whom she was conversing with, the blue-eyed succubus gave her former girlfriend her utmost attention. It was part of the game. She had to make sure the bait was laid out, nice and appropriately, and that Becca had a full, tasty view of it. As it was, she knew that the redhead had been unable to take her eyes off of her and, now that they were face to face, she was the center of her world. She had even dismissed someone whom she had already been wrapping her deceptive web around. Agnes had done her good job for the day by showing away that particular fly. Now she had the spider all to herself.

Her hands lowered to her hips as she tried to keep herself looking meek and somewhat shy. Of course there was nothing wrong with just a little push out of her chest, not overtly so, but just enough to distract the Scot from any consistently coherent thoughts for a little bit. This was supposed to be fun, after all, and playing her meek, cowardly self could be a little...exhausting.

So, with the sweetest and tenderest of smiles, she tilted her head, trying to not meet the redhead’s mismatched eyes out of some claim to embarrassment, and trudged on. She commented that her ex had looked good and that it had been some time since the two of them had last seen one another. Becca was probably under the impression that they parted as friends (at least it seemed that way), little did the ***** know that she drove the brunette out of town. Then again, such was the way when you were completely self-centered.

Rebecca took an appreciative look at her body and, of course, had to comment. Agnes already knew that she must have made quite the sight, but it definitely filled her body with a sense of satisfaction knowing that the redhead was so enthralled by it. She tried to hide her smile, looking down, shyly. If she could blush on cue she would, but instead she just bit her lip, one of the few ticks of her old life that she knew were A.) familiar, and B.) disarming.

>>”Ah look guid? Really? Look at ye! Any chance ye can tell me hoo aw ay thes happened? Thes was nae three months ay squats an’ yoga. Spill.”

She smiled again, crossing her arms under her chest, subtly pushing them up just a little bit. She looked a bit forlorn at the request, chewing on her lip in thought. Clearly she was a bit uncomfortable so she just meekly shrugged her shoulders.

”That’s, um, kind of a long story,” she said softly. ”Probably one best not suited for public?” It was a hint that it had to do with her mutation, something that Agnes had always been sensitive about. ”But, needless to say, yeah…” she said with a exasperated giggle and gesture towards herself. ”...this happened.” She smiled, warmly, watching the other’s eyes. ”How have you been?”

Agnes was gorgeous. It was undeniable. The evidence was displayed prominently right in front of Rebecca’s eyes, and she was ashamed to admit her eyes could not stop taking quick glances down at Agnes’s chest. There was a lot to see, and they were always at the edge of Rebecca’s vision. Still, that was not the big problem; Agnes was always gorgeous. Bold and buxom was a new kind of gorgeous, but she was the same Agnes.

The big problem was that it was the same Agnes. Rebecca was learning to live without Agnes as the focal point of her life, but she knew how easily things just slipped back into place when she was around. All it took was seeing those eyes and she was wondering if going their separate ways was the right choice.

It was important to control herself and remember that they needed to find happiness apart. They were not the candle burning twice as bright and twice as fast; they were the wick to a bomb, burning quickly, firing off sparks on the way to an explosion. She was glad to have Agnes around, but she needed to maintain control.

And she needed to stop looking at her chest.

The answer to Agnes’s transformation was a non-answer, but it was a clear one. Agnes’s metamorphosis came appropriately at the hands of her mutation. It was certainly a new development, but her chrysalis was a catalyst for change. Something must have happened to force a change, and Rebecca was not going to push for more information. ”Ye look great. Ye always look great,” she admitted with a shy smile.

The conversation moved past Agnes’s new body and into the current day. It was nice to see Agnes still cared. ”Ah’ve been guid. Nae perfect, but Ah’m warking oan it. Keepin’ busy, tryin’ new things.” Trying to define what life after Agnes looked like.

The thought reminded Rebecca of the dilemma she walked into yoga with that had been resolved through a fortuitous reunion. ”Oh! Happy birthday! Ah was hopin’ tae send ye that efter yoga. Ah jist wasnae sure ye’d…” Rebecca’s voice trailed off because she did not want to bring up her concern that Agnes might not want to hear from her. ”It’s nice tae get tae say it in person.”

Agnes asked about Rebecca’s life since she left, but she was the one to leave. ”Ah’d love tae know whit ye’ve been up tae. We shoods catch up some time. Ye know, if ye’d be interested.” Rebecca was not expecting much, but she hoped they were at the point where they could get together for a friendly dinner eventually.

>>”Ye look great. Ye always look great,”

Agnes smiled and looked down shyly, but, deep down, she knew exactly what she looked like. When she had first emerged from the cocoon, it had been a bit of a shock, but it was also just...accepted. Bonding with the Hive Queen had, actually, made acceptance of such things far easier. While she was scared of the monster that lived within, part of her was actually very glad that the other entity was around. It made a lot of this so much easier, made her bolder, stronger, and gave her the ability to pull her plans into action. Her ex-lover was little more than a thorn in her side and, truly, if she were her old self, she may not be able to stand being in the same room. But now she had the focus to play the long game.

She casually accentuated her chest, just enough to really make the redhead sweat and sweat she did. Agnes could see it as those mismatched eyes tried to keep from looking at her, but every passing second seemed to make it more and more impossible. Deep down, Agnes was enjoying this far too much, and while she wanted to accelerate her plans, she needed to keep a level head. If she wanted to hurt her, really hurt her, then she needed to be patient.

Still, this was fun.

>>”Ah’ve been guid. Nae perfect, but Ah’m warking oan it. Keepin’ busy, tryin’ new things.”

I wonder how many new people that means…” she grumbled in her thoughts. She knew that Rebecca had a wandering eye, even when she proclaimed that she was in love. She cheated on her, on Nessa, infidelity just seemed to course through the woman’s veins. But, keeping her judgement out of her voice, she replied with a soft and endearing smile.

”That’s so good,” she softly replied. ”It’s important to embrace the new things in life.”

Agnes smiled, but while she may have conveyed the emotion that she wanted in it, there was so much more buried underneath the surface. So much bile and anger towards the woman, but she did manage to play her part well. She posed, rather perfectly, as the shy, former girlfriend of this redheaded harpy, with only the smallest hint of the affection she once had for her shining through.

>>”Oh! Happy birthday! Ah was hopin’ tae send ye that efter yoga. Ah jist wasnae sure ye’d…It’s nice tae get tae say it in person...Ah’d love tae know whit ye’ve been up tae. We shoods catch up some time. Ye know, if ye’d be interested.”

Oh she actually remembered something that wasn’t entirely to do about her. That was surprising. Agnes gave the Scot a warm smile, dipping her head a bit in sweetness as she lifted her gaze back to her. Rebecca was seemingly going to contact her about her birthday (B.S.) but quickly seemed to veer off topic and into the one thing that Agnes was after -- she wanted to catch up. Agnes smirked, another small bit of her lip as she seemed to consider this. Again, she needed to practice patience and if she wanted to really stab out this woman’s heart, then she needed to play safe.

She gave a soft breath and appeared indecisive. ”Oh...um...yeah…” She took a deep breath, really contemplating if she wanted to do this. Quietly she wrung her hands and, for a moment, it seemed as if she would reject the other, but finally just smiled in defeat. ”I...can’t right now. I have…plans...” she started off. She knelt down to pick up her things, tucking them under her arm. She let her words hang in the air before she turned back to Becca, throwing her a bone. ”But...maybe tonight? If you’re up for some dessert...that is?” The infliction on the word “dessert” was so very subtle that only someone really looking for an invitation would have noticed how many ways it could be interpreted. Of course, Agnes never spoke with such innuendo intentionally, so clearly it was just an innocent invitation.

It was a reasonable concern that things between Rebecca and Agnes might have ended amidst problems. The day Agnes left, things seemed like they were going well, but they ran into another argument in the long serious of arguments that seemed to punctuate their relationship. If Agnes told Rebecca she was not ready to let the redhead back in her life in any capacity, it would have stung, but she would have understood. Honestly, Rebecca was still not wholly convinced spending time with Agnes was a good idea for either of them.

Had it been any day other than Agnes’s birthday, she might have resisted the urge to open herself to plans, but the stars aligned too perfectly to ignore. Agnes had her own life and plans for her day, but she was willing to offer the evening to her ex-girlfriend. It was comforting to know she was not just cutting Rebecca off. They were going to grow their own lives independent of one another, but in an ideal world, Rebecca did not want that to mean Agnes had to stay entirely out of her life.

The only problem came when Rebecca felt her cheeks heating up at the notion of “dessert” with Agnes. It was innocuous and well-intentioned, but something in the tone of Agnes’s word caught Rebecca’s imagination. Dessert was an evocative course for them once upon a time. Many an evening with chocolate, whipped cream, sweet berries, and their nostalgic standby, honey. ”D-dessert soonds nice,” she admitted, the hints of nervousness in her voice. ”Jist let me know th’ time an’ place when yer free, birthday girl.”

Gathering up the last of her belongings from the ground, Rebecca gave Agnes one more once over. Yoga did anything but provide her clarity and answers on that day, but amidst the surprise and confusion, she had to admit, it was never a bad thing to see Agnes again. ”It was nice bumpin’ intae ye, Aggie. Truly,” she said, smiling broadly. ”Ah’ll see ye later tonicht.”

And with that, Rebecca left to rejoin the rest of New York, preparing for a busy day where she would find it difficult not to think about her evening plans and all the ways they could go.

The bait was set out. Agnes returned to the redhead, offering her a chance to meet up after initially making it seem like it was something that she didn’t want to do. Truth was that Agnes had absolutely no other plans and she was more than happy to “entertain” the redhead for the rest of the evening. But the important part of this ploy was to ensure that Rebecca was always left wanting more. If she didn’t, well, there was nothing to keep the redhead coming back and nothing to keep her interested. If Agnes were going to make her pay, then she had to ensure that she suffered from the one thing that Agnes knew she disliked...delayed gratification.

Lunch? Dinner? All were probably the safest options for a couple who had broken up and were just trying to reconnect friend-wise. But Agnes didn’t want to delve into “safe”. She wanted to try and toe the line of what was dangerous and, therefore, offered an alternative under the guise of being far too busy -- dessert.

Oh the word had the impact that she wanted. She could see it in Rebecca’s eyes, the flashback to recent times where whipped cream, chocolate sauces, and especially honey had been used to make “dessert” more than just another meal. Agnes knew precisely what she was doing when she said that word, but she feigned innocence with it; after all, many times had she said the most inappropriate things utterly by mistake. Agnes was just being true to character.

>>”D-dessert soonds nice...Jist let me know th’ time an’ place when yer free, birthday girl.”

Agnes offered the other a wide smile, her lips curling in under her teeth as she tried to fake embarrassment. Smiling, she nodded her head, reaching up to curl a few strands of black hair over her ear, exposing the lobe that had, so many times before, been the victim of the redhead’s amorous lips and teeth. It was just another, nostalgic reminder.

>>”It was nice bumpin’ intae ye, Aggie. Truly...Ah’ll see ye later tonicht.”

With her own things already curled under her arm, she nodded to Rebecca as she started to leave the class. ”Yeah. Of course. I’ll text you.” She waited until Rebecca had finally left the room, looking over her shoulder one more time at her, which prompted Agnes to give a small wave. Once the Scot was gone, Agnes breathed a sigh of relief and turned to exit out a different door. Before she got more than a few steps, the other woman whom Agnes had been flirting with tried to walk up to her.

“Oh. Hey. Listen, I know we just met, but, I was wondering…”

Agnes didn’t stop, though. She pushed on, not meeting the other lovely brunette’s eyes before she grinned and responded icly. ”Go f*** yourself, shank.” Leaving the other shocked and surprised, Agnes stepped out of the studio -- she had a birthday dessert to plan.

---

Cherry on Top Dessert Bar? 10:30pm?

[SEND]

= Sorry. New phone.

[SEND]

Rebecca remembered several lyrics in a Hamilton song committed to a character overanalyzing the romantic significance of a punctuation mark. It always seemed like a melodramatic reaction to her, but as she looked over Agnes’s “accidental” kissy-face emoji, Rebecca had a better appreciation for the character.

Did Rebecca ever clarify that she wanted to catch up with Agnes as a friend? With the shock of a surprise reunion and the redesign of her ex-girlfriend, it was entirely likely that those exact words slipped her mind in the moment. Agnes was probably well aware that falling back into old habits would be a bad idea and the emoji was probably a genuine misclick.

But there was the possibility it was not, and Rebecca was not sure how to handle that possibility.

It would be best for Rebecca to stay out of her head and assume the best. Seeing Agnes again was a good thing and catching up would give them the opportunity to start things fresh and uncomplicated. At least as fresh as they could start when visiting one of their favorite late-night spots.

The love of sweets harbored by Rebecca was a secret to no one, and Agnes was known for her own sugary cravings, (though Rebecca hoped it was not ‘that time of the month’ for her.) The Cherry on Top Dessert Bar catered to people like them with a delectable assortment of sweets, treats, and dessert cocktails. The atmosphere was relaxed but upscale. It was the kind of specialty place you would only find in a big city and it reminded you why cities were worth it.

Stepping out of her Uber, Rebecca’s knee-high tan boots hit the sidewalk pavement and she headed toward the door. Embracing Autumn and not needing to get overly dressy, her hair was set in waves falling just past her shoulders and she picked a curve-hugging white dress with a drawstring crisscrossing the neckline.

The girls agreed to meet each other at the bar and it appeared Rebecca made it first, so she took a seat and looked over the drink menu. She settled on a Godiva Chocolate Martini garnished with shaved chocolate that she could sip at and savor until her da—companion for the evening arrived to join her.

Innocent, friendly thooghts, lassie...