Work Text:
Hydra sat on the edge of Pearl's bed, their fingers drumming nervously against the quilt. The late afternoon sun filtered through curtains that had been drawn for a little privacy, painting the room a soft golden light. The atmosphere was warm, safe, scented with the rose of Pearl's perfume. They were usually a lot more at ease here, away from the world.
But today, they felt completely out of their depth as their girlfriend danced around the room, gathering up boxes of makeup and an outfit that had been picked out days ago. She was always so graceful with her motions, and Hydra watched her anxiously as she hummed one of the songs Rusty had written with his band.
She took a few minutes to gather up what she needed, before sitting across from them, legs crossed as she set the armful of product that she'd grabbed.
Everything in Hydra wanted to tell her to stop. To delay this makeover again, and go back to pretending they didn't desperately want to try this. But they knew if they did, they might never gather the courage to give it a try, and then all of the hours spent preparing for this would be wasted.
"Okay," Pearl said gently, holding up a hanger. "Are you ready?"
They hesitated. Their eyes flicked to the shirt; a blue chiffon top, translucent and lightweight, patterned with something like looked like feathers. It was unlike anything they'd worn before. Soft. Feminine. Pretty.
It wasn't that they didn't like it, quite the contrary. When they'd seen it on the rack at the shop, their heart had flipped, hand reaching out to feel the fabric. They'd been curious, picking it up and buying it with a hurried excuse of "it's for my girlfriend" when they set it down on the counter to pay. Something in them ached to try it. To go beyond trying on cheap skirts that Pearl picked out for them, in the privacy of a bedroom.
But now that they were here, in Pearl's room, about to actually wear it, nerves settled heavy in their stomach.
"Yeah," Hydra finally murmured. "I think so. Just… don't laugh it I look weird, okay?"
It was a phrase they'd said many times before. The first time they'd let Pearl do their makeup, or the first time they'd tried on a floor length skirt. And as always, Pearl's expression somehow softened more, as she took Hydra's hands in her own. "Baby," she said, gently but seriously, "you won't look weird. You'll still look like you, I promise. You'll be so pretty."
That made them crack a smile, and Pearl squeezed their hands, lifting one to her lips to kiss. "Do you want to talk it over first?"
Hydra looked down at their lap, swallowing thickly. "I do want to. I just… don't know if I can. If I'll pull it off, or just look awful."
"You're allowed to look pretty. You're allowed to want that. And I won't let anyone judge you." She responded softly, reaching up to cup their cheek. "You're my lovely partner, and I'll be by your side the whole way through, okay?"
When Hydra nodded shakily, she stood to retrieve the skirt that they'd picked out for the outfit together, green and lightly patterned. Nothing too fancy, falling below the knee with loose flowing fabric. She held it up against herself, then held it against them, grinning. "See? It already works. You'll look stunning!"
Hydra huffed out a quiet laugh, still unsure, but no longer feeling like they were teetering on the edge of an anxiety attack. "Okay," they said, voice low and careful. "Okay, let's try it."
Pearl passed them the shirt with a soft sort of care, like she was handing off something precious, and Hydra clutched the hanger, moving to the closet. They turned their back for some privacy, even though Pearl had seen them in less. The chiffon was light and cool against their skin as they slipped it on, and the fabric floated gently when they moved.
They stared at their reflection for a few seconds, breath catching. It was still them in the mirror. Broad shoulders, wiry strength under the clothes. But they felt softer. The colour made their skin look warmer, and the pattern seemed to dance when the shifted.
They ran a hand over their stomach, silent.
Behind them, Pearl beamed. "You look gorgeous."
Hydra turned slowly, still nervous, but the look on Pearl's face made something tight inside them loosen. Because it wasn't just delight in her expression. It was admiration, love, and pride.
They took a slow breath as they walked back to the bed, unclipping the skirt from the hanger Pearl had set down. They hesitated for a bit, then tugged off their jeans, heart in their throat as they stepped into the skirt.
It wasn't the first time they'd done this part, but something about it felt new, unfamiliar. The waistband hugged their hips, and they made sure to untuck any of the shirt that had gotten stuck under it in their haste to put it on, the fabric brushing their calves as they did so.
The skirt itself was airy, and flowing. It didn't cling to them, instead moving easily with every motion. Soft and graceful in a way they never thought they could be.
Turning back to the mirror, Hydra could've cried. The reflection looking back at them wasn't this impossibly changed ideal reflection. It was still them, just… softer. The skirt swayed as they stepped back from the closet, the light catching the fabric just right.
Pearl watched from the bed, arms wrapped loosely around her knees, chin resting on top as she looked at Hydra with a gentle expression. She didn't rush to comment or gush over them. Instead, she just looked, giving them a moment to just be with themself and process.
When they finally turned towards her, their voice was barely a whisper. "Would you… do my makeup?"
Pearl lit up immediately, giggling as she sat up. "Of course! I thought you'd never ask!"
Hydra eased down onto the floor in front of the bed as Pearl slid off to sit in front of them. She reached up to brush a stray strand of hair out of their face. "I'm thinking something soft," she said, tone almost teasing. "Some blue and green, and a little shimmer. Nothing too heavy." She leaned in and kissed them on the cheek. "Just enough to highlight what's already perfect."
Hydra huffed under their breath, but the blush dusting their cheeks gave away how flattering the comment really was. They closed their eyes as Pearl began brushing on primer, the cool touch of her hands lulling their nerves. It was always strange, being still like this. Letting Pearl make them look beautiful.
She worked slowly, narrating as she went, giving Hydra something to focus on. "You've got great cheekbones," she said warmly, dabbing on a bit of blush. "Just adding a little more colour. I love seeing you blushing."
Every movement was gentle, as she carefully moved onto their eyes. She leaned in closer to see better, gently applying eye shadow, working methodically to make it even on both sides. And then the eyeliner, which she warned them to stay still while applying. And Hydra didn't move, as something inside them uncurled.
"You know," Pearl said as she smoothed a clear gloss on their lips. "I don't think I've ever seen you look so relaxed before."
Hydra laughed, a little louder this time. "Is that my cue to start talking about the environment again?"
Pearl smiled, her thumb brushing one last smudge of shimmer away from the corner of Hydra's eye, before applying a setting powder. "You can talk about the carbon cycle and look breathtaking at the same time," she said fondly. "A multitasking queen."
That earned another laugh from them, the tension starting to drain from their shoulders now that the makeup was done. They blinked slowly, leaning back. "I feel like I'm going to mess it up by existing," they muttered, fingers twitching in their lap. "Like if I move too fast, it'll disappear."
Pearl tilted her head with a wry smile. "You know that's not how makeup works, right? You usually need makeup wipes to get it off. Especially this stuff."
Hydra rolled their eyes, but they were smiling. "I know. Just… feels fake, almost. Like I'm borrowing someone else's confidence, playing dress up instead of… You know…"
Pearl leaned forward, hands settling on Hydra's thighs, grounding them. "You're not borrowing anything," she said softly, but firmly. "All this confidence and beauty? It's always been yours. I'm just here to help you see it."
Hydra looked down, a little shy and embarrassed.
"You want to see?" Pearl asked, her tone brightening just a little. She stood, reaching down to help them up. "You can see the full look."
They hesitated again. This felt like that moment where you're at the top of a rollercoaster, waiting for it to tip you over the edge. Knowing once you go forward, there's no stopping your descent. But maybe, they didn't want to stop anymore.
Hydra nodded, taking her hand, letting her lead them to the mirror again.
And there it was.
Soft green dusted across their eyelids, fading into a deeper sea-blue at the edges, with the shimmer placed like sunlight on water. The blush was barely there, just a kiss of warmth that matched well with their face, and their lips had a subtle sheen, that seemed intentionally designed to draw attention to their smile. And the outfit somehow looked more natural now.
For a few minutes, Hydra didn't speak. They stared, wide eyed and still. Then slowly, their expression shifted into one of giddy elation, and wonder. "I look…" they began, then trailed off. They weren't sure how to finish that sentence.
Pearl stepped in gently, wrapping her arms around their waist, nuzzling between their shoulder blades. "You look like yourself."
Hydra exhaled shakily, like they'd been holding their breath this entire time. "Yeah," they whispered. "I guess I kind of do."
They tilted their head, taking in their reflection from another angle. "I'm not used to it. I feel like… like I'm not meant to see myself like this." A pang of worry washed over them, and they had to take a deep breath to steady themself. "I guess it feels like… if I really enjoy it, I'll be punished for it."
Pearl's smile faded into something more protective, serious. She stepped next to them, lacing her fingers with theirs. "I know that feeling," she said softly. "But you'll get nothing but love here. Okay? I'll look after you, and so will Rusty."
They nodded, barely, their grip tightening.
"Do you wanna take some pictures? We can keep them just for us. And we could get one for Rusty too, if you'd like." She looked up at him. "So you can watch someone else smile like I'm smiling now."
Hydra's face lit up with surprise, before they looked away bashfully. "I dunno if I'm ready for a lot of pictures, but… maybe one. Just for us, and for Rusty. To remember I did this."
Pearl beamed. "I'll get the Polaroid! This feels like a Polaroid moment!" She rushed off to her cabinet, tugging open a draw, and fishing out her little instant camera, its plastic pastel casing half-covered in stickers and glittery tape. She flicked the switch on and raised it towards Hydra, who instinctively flinched and then straightened.
Pearl grinned behind the lens. "Okay, deep breath, lemme see that real smile!" She hesitated, before looking at them with a softer smile. "Because you always look beautiful when you smile."
The shutter clicked as soon as their lips quirked up without their say so, blushing even beneath the makeup.
Pearl caught the photo as it popped out, flapping it gently to help it develop.
Hydra reached for it, but she held it out of reach. "Uh-uh," she teased, stepping back. "You can look when it's ready."
They laughed, sitting heavily on the edge of the bed with a mock pout. "You're evil."
"You love me," she teased right back, sticking her tongue out.
Hydra didn't answer with words, but they did smile again, this time without hesitation.
And when Pearl finally handed them the picture, they stared at themself with a stunned expression, before grabbing one of Pearl's sharpies with a contemplative look, before coming up with the perfect caption for the photo.
My first time seeing myself.
Perfect.