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Because I’m a trashcan disguised as a human being I did not read that this was art work. I am, unfortunately, not good at drawing, so I decided to write a fic, and draw a bit of (not that good) artwork to go with it.
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The door opened with a loud bang, and Teddy opened their eyes to see Jamie at the door with a face-splitting smile. Teddy noticed that Vic had lowered her brush from their face and was also looking at James with a surprised expression.
“21st of April!” Jamie exclaimed with a proud and joyful smile. He must have thought that the phrase made sense, since he did not bother to add any explanation. Teddy and Vic just looked at him with confusion, at the same time asking him what he was on about.
“It’s the date of my top surgery. It’s finally happening.” His voice changed from happy to nervous, and before Teddy could even muster a celebratory phrase, Vic was already standing up and enveloping Jamie in a bone-crushing hug.
“That’s amazing, James! I’m so happy for you.” She took his face between both her hands and kissed him on his forehead. Vic had always been taller than them both, Teddy had been close to catching up to her growing up, but still ended being an inch shorter than her.
Teddy then stood up and added themself to the hug, squishing both their partners at once. “Congrats, that really is incredible, Jamie.” When Teddy looked at Jamie, they saw that his eyes were wet with unshed tears, so Teddy stroked his cheek and pecked him on the lips. Jamie’s smile grew bigger and a few tears started falling. “And now we get to celebrate three things today. You were always one to outshine the rest, but I guess we can share the spotlight,” they added with a jesting smile.
“You prick,” Jamie said, laughing and punching them with the arm that was not holding Vic.
“No fighting while in the hug pile!” Vic said in mock annoyance. She smiled and turned around to look at both of them. “Also, James, have you noticed how fabulous Teddy looks in this outfit and make-up? I don’t want to take all the credit, but I will since, you know, the credit is all mine.”
Jamie then took a step back to take a full look at Teddy. Teddy was wearing a long black skirt, with a split on the side that let you see their long, pale legs. They were also wearing black ankle booties with a bit of a heel. The top was a light grey shirt that was close-fitting without looking too tight, that ended tucked into the skirt. Teddy saw as Jamie’s eyes then went up to their face, where Vic was half-way through Teddy’s makeup. Jamie must have liked what he saw, because his eyes got slightly bigger, and his smile wider. “You really look gorgeous, Teddy.” He then got closer to them, and kissed them quickly in the mouth.
Jamie’s hands hadn’t been in their hair for more than a second when Vic’s voice stopped them. “Do NOT mess with the hair, James! And also, you’re lucky I hadn’t done their lips yet. Now get away, unless you want me to do your make-up too. It’s not-date night and I want to make Teddy pretty.” Jamie stood away from both of them with a bashful smile. “Also,” Vic added, “you should change. Not that I don’t like your after-training clothes, but we’re leaving in half an hour”.
James put his hands up with a surrendering expression and left to go to his room. James, Vic, and Teddy had started living together exactly a year ago, which was perfect timing as it was the third Thursday of the month which meant it was not-date night. (The name had started as a joke as Vic, being aromantic, said that she didn’t want dates. After two years together, she had said it was okay to change the name, but none of them had actually wanted to at that point). The apartment had a very spacious living room, a “not-actually-that-big-I’m-sorry-Teddy” kitchen, a surprisingly big bathroom, and three separate bedrooms. The biggest bedroom was Teddy’s, as it had the biggest bed where they all slept when they wanted to cuddle (which was nearly every day), and the other two rooms were smaller, but neither minded. They had decided to each get a room because, even though they loved being together and sleeping in the same bed, they also wanted to have space for themselves. This worked perfectly on the days that either Vic and Teddy or Jamie and Teddy wanted to be together, and also on the days that Jamie was feeling touch-repulsed, or Vic romance-repulsed. Teddy was a cuddle-maniac, and was not ashamed to admit it.
Vic was just finishing applying lipstick on Teddy’s lips, when Jamie got closer to them and in a small voice asked, “Vic? Ermm… Would you put some makeup on me?” Teddy could feel themself smile. Teddy thought they could understand what Jamie was feeling at that moment. That feeling of empowerment with one’s own gender and gender expression, that feeling of freedom.
Teddy got up to see themself in the mirror. The makeup Vic had applied accentuated Teddy’s slanted eyes, with a long black winged eyeliner, and silver eyeshadow that had some darker shades. The lipstick she had chosen was dark red, which contrasted with their skin. They really looked gorgeous. They turned around when Vic and Jamie started talking.
“You want makeup? I thought you hated it. You don’t even let me apply anything for the bags under your eyes.” Vic asked him with a look of confusion, while adjusting the seat for him at the same time.
Jamie blushed a bit and sat down. He bit his lip, as he did when he was nervous, and looked at his hands while he answered Vic. “When I started taking testosterone I felt amazing, and I thought my dysphoria would disappear.” His arms encircled his chest, as if trying to flatten it, and he didn’t have to say that the dysphoria didn’t leave. “But now that I’m finally getting my top surgery, it feels easier to accept and even search for the femininity that I rejected for so long. Does that make sense?”
Teddy wanted to put their arms around Jamie and tell him that they did understand, but Teddy knew that this was a conversation between Jamie and Vic. Jamie and Teddy had always understood each other when talking about gender and dysphoria, but even though Vic was very supportive, they both knew that she didn’t quite fully understand the struggles they went through. Teddy could feel Jamie trying to reach Vic, and even though Jamie looked scared Teddy had no doubts that Vic would understand. She always did; that was how they made this amazing relationship they had work.
Vic looked at Jamie in the eye, and took both of Jamie’s hands in hers, “it actually makes a lot of sense. I had never thought about it, but I can see how that could happen.” Vic got closer and kissed him on the cheek; she loved showing her love through physical attention, which they both appreciated. “Thanks for explaining it to me. So… now that all this mushy stuff is over, what do you want me to do for you?” She showed Jamie her makeup stash, and Jamie’s eyes got comically bigger, making Vic and Teddy laugh.
“Actually, how about we stick to something simple?” Jamie said with a pleading smile.
Vic smiled at him with what could only be described as wickedness. “Okay, but you’re not allowed to look until I finish.”
After what seemed like less than five minutes, Vic declared she had finished with Jamie’s makeup. Teddy got closer and their breath caught in their throat. Vic had respected Jamie’s wishes and had done something very simple. She had applied a green eyeliner which made the dashes of green in Jamie’s eyes stand out, she had (finally) made Jamie’s bags disappear, and had applied just a dash of lipgloss on his lips. With Jamie’s beautiful bronze skin, Vic hadn’t felt she had to apply anything else.
Jamie looked at both of them, and he must have seen something in Teddy’s face, for he finally turned to look at himself in the mirror. “Oh, Merlin. I look beautiful,” he touched his face reverently, as if scared he would somehow destroy what Vic had done.
Vic then went beside Jamie to see it better. “I thought the green would make your eyes look greener, and the lipgloss has no real colour, it just makes them look brighter and bigger,” she sounded nervous in a way neither Jamie and Teddy had heard in a while. “Do you like it?”
Jamie turned to her and hugged her tightly. “I love it. Thank you so much. This is exactly what I wanted.”
Teddy let them hug for a few seconds before coughing in order to draw some attention to themself. “I hate to break this lovely moment between my lovely partners, but we’re going to be late for the reservation if we don’t leave now”.
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They arrived just in time for their reservation. The person who showed them to their table seemed new, and he looked at the three of them slightly surprised when he saw Teddy in their skirt. Teddy had made the features of their face slightly softer, but not enough to change the way they looked. Once they were seated, one of the regular waitresses, a lovely girl named Noa, was the one who took their order to their relief. They had come here many times before, and she only became nicer with each visit.
Once the main course arrived for the three of them, Teddy decided to share their news.
“Tomorrow I’m dressing like this to work.” Vic and Jamie had been talking about something animatedly, (Teddy hadn’t been listening, too nervous about telling them this.) and abruptly stopped and looked at them.
Vic was the first to break the silence. “Why now?” Jamie caught one of Teddy’s hands and in a small voice asked, “Is it safe for you there?”
"I've actually been thinking about this for a while. Being so free and happy in other aspects of my life just makes going to work harder for me. I'm tired of playing an act with people I'm supposed to trust and who trust me," Teddy squeezed Jamie's hand that was holding theirs. "And I think so? I've actually worn some makeup a few times, and I even wore heels once. Other than a few looks I didn't get anything. Either way, I'm ready."
Jamie put his other hand over Teddy's hand, "I'm glad, if there's anything we can do for you, just tell us".
"Yeah, call us if you need anything." Vic said, and in a very Vic way of trying to ease the serious moment she added, "But just so you know, this doesn't mean you can choose the movie tomorrow. I'm not watching another Disney movie again." Teddy laughed unexpectedly and kissed her cheek. They then pouted childishly. Vic smiled sweetly and patted their hair, "For a while, at least."
The rest of the dinner went by fast. They laughed and talked about different nonsense. Teddy was so happy they had these two idiots by their side.
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James and Vic were both sitting on the sofa, and James was brushing Vic's hair while she told him about her day.
"So now I have to do their work too. You know I love working with the kids, but I can't just do everything, you know?" Vic worked as a social worker for homeless kids, and she really did love the job. Seeing the kids she worked with smile and be able to achieve their dreams was amazing, it was the other people that she worked with that annoyed her. They seemed to think that just because she was young and excited, she had to do most of the work there. Before James could answer, she changed the topic. "How do you think Teddy's doing?"
She scooted a bit farther away in order to put her head in James' lap. He then proceeded to slowly massage her forehead, and softly touch the different parts of her face. Her eyebrows, nose, and cheekbones. "They should be here any minute now. They haven't said anything, so at least that's something. My dad's there, even if he's not directly working with them, and I don't think he'd let anything bad happen to Teddy".
Vic had her eyes closed, but she could still hear James' voice catch a bit at the end. James' and Uncle Harry's relationship had been a bit hard after coming out as trans, they were slowly getting closer and becoming more honest. Vic knew their relationship had changed since coming out, but she secretly thought it had become more honest, and they were both learning and loving each other in a stronger way. “I love it when you do the weird face massage-caress thing-y.”
James let out a burst of laughter. Vic could always lift the mood like that. “My mum used to do that to me growing up whenever I was nervous, or scared after a nightmare.” He paused for a few seconds, staring at his fingers on Vic’s face. “Maybe I’ll ask to have a family dinner one of these days, and I’ll tell them the news.” Vic made a noncommittal sound, and they both continued in a tense silence, until they heard the sound of keys outside the door.
Vic got up so quickly she felt a bit dizzy, and she felt James’ body tense behind her. Teddy then opened the door and gave them both a small smile. “So… Did you two have a nice day?” Teddy hung their coat and left the keys in the key bowl. Teddy loved to make them wait for a bit. They could be an arsehole like that sometimes.
James was the first to break through the facade. “How did it go?” Vic and James moved to the sides of the sofa, leaving a space in the middle for Teddy to sit down.
“It went great actually.” Both Vic’s and James’ eyebrows lifted at the news, even if they were also smiling with relief. The three of them knew that the Wixen community wasn’t known for their tolerance. “Don’t get me wrong, I did get strange looks, and I’m still being misgendered, but it was so much better than I expected. I went to see my boss, and he actually told me that his granddaughter had just come out as trans, and he wanted my advice as to how best to help her. I told him that the best way was to treat her like he normally did, gender her properly, and if he has any doubts or questions he should just ask her respectfully.”
“Wow, I’m so glad that she has somebody like that in her life. Kudos to your boss” James said with a smile. James had taken one of Teddy’s hands between his and was playing with their fingers. This reassured and calmed both of them every time. Vic was just sitting crossed legged beside him, making sure that one of her knees was always touching Teddy.
“Yeah, he’s a great boss. After that I went to work, and people were avoiding me. My boss came up to me and just talked to me like he normally did, put his hand on my shoulder, and smiled. That somehow seemed to break the ice and other people talked to me again like before. There are still some people who made sure to let me know that they disapproved, but I don’t really care. At least now I know I can dress like that if I feel like it, you know?”
The three were smiling with joy and relief. Teddy put their arms around each of their partners and smiled mischievously. “After such tremendous drama in my life, I think I should get to choose the movie.” Teddy took the remote control and turned on the telly.
“Wowowow,” Vic quickly took the remote from Teddy’s hands. “That is unfair. My life is very boring, and I never get to have an excuse to watch a movie. It’s my turn.” Teddy put on a pouty face. Vic turned around trying to ignore it while she browsed the movies. She could still feel Teddy’s eyes on her neck. “For Merlin’s sake, I swear this is the last time,” she said, tossing the remote to Teddy. Teddy grinned. They both knew it wasn’t the last one.
“Actually,” James added while extending his legs over Teddy and Vic, “it’s my turn. It was supposed to be last week when Teddy burnt their hand cooking and decided they needed to watch Ratatouille.”
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to cook again, it was very scary.” Teddy interjected, crossing their arms, and doing the same pouty face at James. James just looked at Teddy with a raised eyebrow and threw a cushion at their face, ignoring Teddy’s protest.
“Well, I’m probably going to tell my parents about the surgery this weekend, so I don’t care what happens, next weekend is mine. No take-backs.” James got more comfortable, and as he did not make any attempt to get the remote, Teddy started browsing animated movies.
“In order to show you my merciful and kind-hearted nature we can watch Spirited Away. It’s not Disney, but it’ll suffice,” Teddy said in a magnanimous way. Vic and James exclaimed happily at the same time. Vic got up to make some popcorn then, while Teddy massaged James’ feet.
“You know, it should be me getting a foot massage,” Teddy told James playfully. James smacked them on the arm as a response.
“You’re such a drama queen. With how well the day went for you, you shouldn’t get to play that card. My body hurts so much after training today. I think Wood was in a bad mood or something because he made us train at double the intensity today. I’ll tell Uncle Perce to make him some cake or something.” James said while looking at the ceiling. Teddy snickered, knowing James wouldn’t say a thing, if Oliver knew Percy and James were scheming behind his back, James would get worse than a hard training session.
Vic got back with the popcorn. There was a batch of butter popcorn and a batch of sweet popcorn, and she put both of them in the middle. “Scoot.” She moved James’ legs and sat down, only to have them on her lap again. “Merlin’s pants,” she muttered but made no attempt to move the legs.
The movie started playing, and they stayed silent for a while, content and smiling, knowing that what they had was amazing, each secretly thinking how lucky they were they had the other two. During the movie they darted glances at each other and smiled, and if that night they all cuddled more than usual then it was just expected. After all, it was their one year not-anniversary.
