Chapter Text
~~~~~
Cafe sat hunched over her coffee table, pouring steaming water into her French press, pleasantly humming a song to herself in the empty lounge/laboratory she and Tachyon shared.
It was more peaceful than usual, mainly on account of the absence of the abandoned classroom’s other occupant. Cafe somewhat welcomed it, Tachyon had been more antsy and persistent with asking her or their other partners to join her with various experiments. Though Cafe did begin to miss the quaint presence of another person, especially if it was just Tachyon clacking away on her laptop or scribbling notes in a notepad.
Cafe sighed out, a part of her truly resigning to the notion of missing her eccentric researcher partner, even if it meant she was here to bother her during a break from classes. She reclined back in her chair, trying to take in the aroma of her brewing coffee to distract her mind from fully festering on Tachyon’s absence.
She opened her eyes after a moment, though she oddly spotted her friend standing by the window, facing away from where Cafe usually would see her, but her gaze seemed fixated on something outside.
Cafe’s perked up curiously. She gathered herself up, carefully stepping around the coffee table, and joined her friend over by the window. The shadowy apparition dissipated as she usually would when Cafe got close enough to her. She scanned her eyes around the window’s view to see what gained her friend’s curiosity so.
Her eyes didn’t take long to look over the open and sparsely populated field to discover what her friend might be interested in. Tachyon was with Shakur, mutely speaking to her as the latter seemed to be nearly doubled over from exhaustion. Tachyon simply stood over her as Shakur tried to catch her breath, her ramblings completely muted to Cafe from the distance, but she could already assume Tachyon was talking about an experiment or proposition for an experiment to Shakur, though she figured that the workout the other classmate just performed on the practice track might have been an experiment itself.
Cafe’s eyes narrowed as she noticed Tachyon move incredibly closely to Shakur, her hands wrapping around and finding purchase on Shakur’s tattooed forearm. Her ears stood on end, and she tried to stifle a gasp for a moment, before minor relief washed over her, as Tachyon just seemed to be retrieving a heart rate monitor from the other uma, instead of clinging onto her, her initial suspicions of Shakur already being involved in an experiment with Tachyon were practically confirmed.
She didn't know if it was the small look the two shared, or Shakur’s surprisingly bashful expression as she pulled away and rubbed at the place the arm band used to be, but it inflamed Cafe’s internally. Adding doubly to her growing vexation was how the first bit of audible dialogue the two shared was Tachyon gleefully laughing at the results from Shakur’s exercise, her slightly manic cackle echoing just enough to be audible back up to their shared living space.
Cafe felt an odd pain in her index finger, she looked down and realized she had been gripping the open windowsill firmly enough to chip a nail. She hadn’t even realized she was tightly holding onto it, but she had damaged the very tip of her index finger's slightly elongated nails.
She pulled her hand back and away from the window, rubbing her thumb over it all the while, and looked back up to see Tachyon and Shakur parting, the former looking to return to the main Tracen building.
Cafe turned away from the window and tried to relax her ears back down fully. Her friend reappeared and sat languidly on the couch in the spot she was sitting at just prior. She let out another sigh as she realized her coffee might already be lukewarm, and returned to the couch, her friend fading away in a small haze of smoke as she did.
She settled for pouring the now room-temperature coffee to try to enjoy, increasing the newfound mild irritation she felt.
Cafe reclined back, her eyes hanging low and onto the coffee table before her, waiting as if time would change the temperature of her coffee for the better, or fade away the envy that welled within her.
Her friend blinked back into existence over by Tachyon’s chair, curiously idling with the elaborate-looking swivel chair’s direction a little bit. It felt like a knowing question from her friend, and while Cafe knew it was not malicious in intent, it still didn’t subdue the bizarre frustration in her.
“I… know I am…” she silently confirmed to her friend, her ears dropping to the top of her head. Cafe averted her eyes and picked up her favorite kitty mug, trying to pass the time away and cool herself off before Tachyon arrived back.
***
“Ah~ Cafe! I’ve returned, have you missed my presence?" Tachyon said while sliding the door closed to her room, a notebook in her right hand and her left holding a heart rate monitor.
“I had Shakur ingest a pill that should reduce aching pains in lower leg ligaments when performing cardiovascular exercise routines, and I must say… they performed exceptionally." She said, not specifying if Shakur or the concoction she made for her was what produced the great results.
Tachyon quickly made her way across the room and to her chair, reclining back into it and swiveling around on its axis once, smiling wide and outstretching her arms.
Cafe however didn’t look up to her, instead, she had retrieved a book from the academy's library and was immersing herself in it completely.
Tachyon’s smile turned into a small playful pout, her eyes never leaving Cafe as she examined her for a way to gain her partner’s attention.
“And here I supposed you would be happy to hear about the results of such an experiment, the data I collected and am about to analyze could be very revealing in reliving many of a Umamusume’s pains and struggles when running.”
She held her gaze to Cafe, who didn’t so much as look up to her, only turning a page in her book.
Tachyon tilted her head slightly, her little pout turning almost fully into a concerned frown, before spinning herself back and away from Cafe and to her desk.
“Well, I suppose I can share more information about my findings after I've made a proper breakthrough, perhaps I can even have this drug reach a clinical trial- though I’d have to let Shakur do a few more runs under its effects for definitive answers...” She said in a slightly bratty tone, before slipping back into her usual mumbling voice she took on when considering her findings.
Tachyon flipped open her laptop, waiting patiently for a long moment for it to turn on. With her computer still starting up, she scanned her eyes over it and to the heart rate monitor, mentally double-checking the data to ensure cohesion between the hastily jotted down note and the watch itself.
“Now if I can find a proper candidate with chronic pain in their lower body to test this on… I could always perform it on myself… but maybe I should outsource my analysis to various other umas to increase the sample size…” Tachyon began to mumble under her breath, opening one of her digital writing documents to transcribe the scribbles of findings she made earlier that day.
A cool breeze passed by her, and Tachyon felt the hair on the back of her head stand up straight. It would maybe arouse concern or a slight shiver through someone not accustomed to it, though it usually just meant her beloved Cafe was close behind her.
Arms snaking around Tachyon’s shoulders confirmed it to be the case, her ears perking up slightly to the contact, though she didn’t even halt her typing to check what or whom it might be.
Cafe’s arms tightly bound themselves around her neck and shuddered, even placing her head atop Tachyon’s and between her ears as they began to relax back down. It caused a pleased laugh to escape Tachyon’s lips, though it more so came out as a hum.
She would do this occasionally. Creeping behind Tachyon while she busied herself with research to gently hold onto her. Tachyon found it particularly amusing how it was the main way her Cafe would usually go about embracing in a casual manner; not completely unlike how a cat would only welcome physical touch on its own time, a stark contrast from their puppy-like partner Pokke.
“Hmmmm? What’s this Cafe?” Tachyon said, eyes still glued to the screen, but needing to brush a loose strand of Cafe’s long black hair out of her face as it fell over her eyes. “Feeling clingy today?”
Tachyon tried to use the reflection of the laptop’s screen to peer back at Cafe while she typed, wanting to see her expression change if at all from her words. Though with no response, she figured she might need to poke and prod in other ways to elicit a reaction from the oddly quiet other girl.
“‘Just’ clingy today, Cafe?” Tachyon said in a curious but proud flirty tone, her fingers slowing slightly to focus her words and voice. “And I hadn't even placed a special sedative in your afternoon coffee.”
Still nothing, usually a small bratty flare got a reaction of some sort from her dear Cafe, yet still… nothing.
Tachyon’s smile wavered slightly, and her mind began to wander with worry if she had done something wrong to earn Cafe’s dismissal, or if Cafe herself was going through a troubling time with classes or her mystery illness.
“I saw you…with Shakur.” The words came out of Cafe’s husky voice like a ghostly proclamation that caused Tachyon’s right ear to twitch inadvertently. It wasn’t out of the norm of her usual tone at all, though it did surprise Tachyon to hear, her nerves being quelled enough to return her pace back to an average with typing.
“Oh? Spying from our window were you?” Tachyon began, playfulness apparent as she relaxed back into the embrace again, ears perking up in curiosity. “I do forget that our classroom has a good view of the practice track.”
Tachyon felt a surprise tightening of the arms draped around her. Her brow furrowed curiously at it, something she said perhaps causing such a reaction from her dear partner? Her mind raced, recalling and weighing the possible reasons Cafe seemed to be like this, and how it correlated to the information gathered.
“Does that bother you, my dear Cafe?” She began to say, breaking a hand away from the computer to bring up to Cafe’s own hands, gently grasping over one of her wrists. “That I may be fraternizing myself with other guinea pigs instead of you?” Her words almost dripped with smarm as she verbally theorized to Cafe.
The hold around her tightened, and Tahcyon’s smile grew wider, loving that she might have properly found the reason for the behavior.
“I wonder..” She continued with a knowing drawl, very sure of herself now. “This needy physical compulsion isn’t present when we are alone, or even together with the company of Dantsu and Pokke. Why might that be the case, Cafe?” Tachyon tried to continue saying in a controlled tone, though she could feel the small flush of excitement bloom from around the sides of her face, anticipation almost dripping off of her like condensation.
“We’re all together.” Cafe bluntly answered without missing another beat.
Tachyon’s excitement began to wane, the minor difference in tone Cafe used caused mild concern in her. It was subtle but it was there, an irritation in the calmness of her voice that worried her. Cafe would only take on the tone after incessant badgering or requests from her, to hear it here was new to Tachyon.
“And Shakur… is not.” The carefully spoken words caused Tachyon’s ears to drop back to the top of her head, excitement worn off and concern began to rise.
Now her thought process began to be reframed, perhaps the previous teasing had come off as more so cruel to her dear partner. It was intended as a playful flirt to test the waters, though perhaps Tachyon had inadvertently soured and vexed Cafe further.
However, to know that Cafe could be called the adjective ‘jealous’ was a newfound discovery for her. Pokke could be antsy and wanting for attention from the other members of their dynamic occasionally, or Dantsu in her own unvoiced and worried way -though only rarely-, even Tachyon could find herself yearning and belligerent for one of their other partners' attention on them… but Cafe? Cafe was usually solitary, self-assured, and docile, mostly.
Jealousy was…
“A-Ah… Cafe….” Tachyon tried to begin saying in a worried tone, her other hand slinking back and away from the computer as she focused her attention on Cafe for the moment.
“Perhaps you could join me on another occasion with Shakur, even if it’s just standing by and observing?” she tried to begin saying, her words trying to remain clear and concise to remedy the situation she might have found herself in. “I have many more ideas and experiments to perform with the new drug I've made.”
Tachyon felt Cafe’s arms break away slightly, and her own hands limply fall back down to her waist as Cafe seemed to reposition herself.
They quickly returned and looped around Tachyon’s waist, though her touch was different than before. Cafe began to gently run her nails along Tachyon’s waist and stomach, her fingers lingering and pricking across the fabric of her shirt as she did. The precise touch almost worried her, like the nails could cut and slice through the clothes and into her skin with just a bit of force if Cafe so wished to, and the way they lingered around made Tachyon almost presume that was what Cafe was considering.
Though she could not hide how much it elated her, Tachyon’s worrying pout was broken up by a small smile and light chuckle at the contact of Cafe’s touch. She lightly trembled, and her smile grew manically wide despite herself.
“Or does that idea bother you?” Tachyon said, trying to have her tone remain neutral. “My dear Cafe?”
Tachyon could finally glance at Cafe’s own expression as she moved her head down and slightly to the side of Tachyon’s own shoulder, just barely hovering her chin from fully resting on her again.
Her eyes looked troubled and clouded with thought, her gaze downcast and to Tachyon’s hands as they carefully grasped at her own as she seemed to silently consider something.
“We’re… all together.” Cafe began to say, her voice returning to her usual slow delivery and mildly husky tone. “There is no one else… that I have to worry about… when I'm with you three.”
Her suspicions were confirmed, and Tachyon was for once saddened by her correct presumption. She gripped her hands tightly against Cafe’s own, fingers entrapped over other fingers as she held onto her, trying to reassure Cafe in her own way.
“You worry that Shakur might capture my attention instead of you?” She quietly uttered, though very nearly instantly regretted it after.
If Cafe minded however, she didn’t show it. She just darted her eyes around Tachyon’s person for a long moment, her wandering mind seemingly focusing again.
“Well…” Tachyon began to try and say, even leaning her head onto Cafe’s own. “rest assure that I would never-“
She could barely get the words out, before she felt Cafe pull into her neck, teeth bared and planting deep into Tachyon’s own skin.
“C-Cafe!?” She cried out in surprise, her hold around Cafe’s hands tightening enough that for a moment she almost cut herself on the other girl’s fingernails.
Cafe didn’t stop however, even twisting her head slightly into the bite, eliciting more of a reaction from Tachyon. A bright blush spread over Tachyon’s face, as she winced and whined lightly into the hold.
The dark-haired Uma could leave marks on her or her other lovers, but usually it was prompted by the circumstances in the moment, and never nearly this hard. Tachyon found herself lightly squirming in Cafe’s grasp, completely at her mercy as she held her teeth clamped down and over the skin of her neck.
Tachyon felt a small hum course through her from Cafe’s own mouth, eliciting a shiver out of her. She mildly scrambled to cross her legs, the act causing a rouse within her.
Cafe finally unhooked her teeth from the left side of Tachyon’s neck, planting two light pecks onto the bruised skin.
Just as quickly as she had embraced her and bitten into her, Cafe slunk her arms back to herself as she moved away from Tachyon, spinning the other girl around after her.
“Cafe?!” She called out after her, only irritated with how fast Cafe’s embrace left her. Confusion mounted properly as her mind caught up with what had transpired.
Tachyon felt at the left side of her neck, the spot lightly covered with salvia, and upon pulling her hand back to her eyes, she noted that the tiniest bit of blood was left behind on her finger.
“I-I…?” Tachyon tried to stammer out, moving a hand quickly up to her neck to catch any mess that might drip onto her from the now dully aching mark.
She just tried to control the mess of a flush on her face as she looked to Cafe for an answer, though she offered none as she calmly sat back down on her futon, retrieving the book she had set down previously and opening it back up to read as if nothing had ever happened.
Tachyon laughed lightly in surprise, still processing and making sense of why she now bore a bite mark of Cafe’s teeth on her skin.
“Cafe, t-this,” She tried to say, though her blush continued to form as burgeoning realization began to appear in her mind. “T-this will take days to heal…”
The ghost of a pleased smile on Cafe’s lips confirmed Tachyon’s newest suspicions, though it disappeared as quickly as it came.
Tachyon remained still, slightly stunned as she absorbed and processed what had happened. A mark like this was hard enough to hide, not even the small flaps of her lab coat could properly conceal it, and her hair was far too short to brush over her neck.
She would have to go about her days with the hickey very visible, unable to hide it in any fashion she could think of, baring patching it up with gauze, though Tachyon knew that there was no good enough excuse she could give for why she would have bandaged most of her neck up.
She couldn't believe Cafe would do this as a result of the mild jealousy she felt, giving her a mark that would scream she was in a relationship like a brand, as if she was owned no less. Tachyon fidgeted her crossed legs tighter from the thought, trying to rationalize that she was presuming the reason as to Cafe’s action.
“N-no matter!” She tried to say, even spinning her chair away from the proud look Cafe had to her while reading. “Surely Dantsu can lend me some form of concealer to… w-well, conceal this.”
Tachyon tried to busy herself away from the bashfulness of the sudden act and mark given to her, reaching around on her desk to various cleaning and medical disinfectant products to treat the very mild wound, trying to concentrate her mind through the light pulse she felt from it while she cleaned and doctored it.
Though internally Tachyon knew she had no plans at all to truly ask Dantsu for coverage over the mark. She would just have to get through any chance encounters or experiments with other classmates while hoping they didn’t notice the elephant in the room, or more aptly on her.