Work Text:
“For winning, you receive three prizes!”
Book feels her excitement mounting, her fists shaking in anticipation. Behind Needle is the small chunk of farm they've been battling for, as well as the grand cake. Finally, after so many years, it would be hers. It's still a little unbelievable, even now as the votes have been revealed and she's been cast as the final contestant and victor of BFDIA.
Vaguely, she wonders what the third prize could be before Needle is suddenly throwing the grand cake at her. Despite it's many, many clashing flavors and textures, Needle still managed to make it taste somewhat decent.
Then the island itself is handed to her, and even though she's held it a few times before, it's even more thrilling now that Book has earned it rightfully as her prize. The chunk of earth trembles in her grip, and Book feels her cheeks ache with how wide she's grinning. She sets it down next to the remains of the cake to admire them both.
"And..."
Right, the third prize! Book turns back to see Needle walking towards her, smile turning fond with what must be pride. Book is about to ask where it is, as Needle doesn't seem to be holding anything, but the words die on her tongue as Needle stops in front of her and leans down.
Then Needle raises her hand, cups her face, and plants a kiss on the corner of her lips.
Book inhales sharply, her heart that had finally started to calm from the excitement rapidly picking up pace again, and feels warmth flooding her face and blooming where Needle's touch had been.
Needle pulls back, gaze soft and sparkling, but before Book has time to say anything, or even process what had just occurred, the other ex-contestants crowd her, congratulating her and talking over one another and asking if they can stand on the island.
Book gets swept up in the (thankfully not as hectic as the earlier) chaos, and Needle's kiss is brushed to the back of her mind as she allows everyone to set foot on the chunk of earth.
It's not until way later in the evening that Book gets to talk to Needle one-on-one, being distracted by Coiny when she tried to approach her as she filled her bag of memories, and Ice Cube, Ruby and Bubble wanting to talk to her in the Supervan as they made the trip to Yoyleland.
All the attention was beyond flattering for Book, but she's glad she has a chance to breathe as her and Needle explore the city, her sighting of Leafy already forgotten.
"You didn't like the farm?"
"Needle, I literally gave it to you. Hey, where'd you put it anyway?"
"Secret!"
"Fair enough. I liked it when you kissed me way better anyway." The words are out of Book's mouth before she can think about it.
A beat of silence passes as Book realizes what she had just admitted, and she feels Needle's burning stare on her face.
It's a few moments later when Needle finally utters a small, "Really?"
Book's flush spreads from her face all throughout her body. "Uh, yeah. I wanted to talk to you about it, but everyone was just... everywhere all the time and I didn't get a chance to."
Until now at least. And even then, Book doesn't seem to have the words for this conversation. What should she say that screamed 'I want you to kiss me again' without actually telling Needle? Or was her confession to liking it alone already enough?
"Honestly, it was on a whim. I was just going to give you a high-five at first, but I really couldn't help myself seeing you so happy," then, a little quieter, "you were just too cute."
If she could get any hotter, Book thinks she'd burst into flames. Needle finds her cute.
Needle finds her cute.
Book's brain is overheating. She doesn't know what to say to this. First a kiss, and now Needle telling her she was cute. Needle kissed her because she thought she was cute This had to mean something, right?
Unfortunately, her sheepish self blurts out the first thing that comes to mind. "Well, I'd totally compete again if that was the prize."
Oh my word, that was so embarrassing! She braves a glance to see Needle cover her mouth with her hand as she chuckles. Book quickly averts her eyes and closes them once Needle's meets hers. She silently wished a drill would fall from the sky and tear her to pieces. Anything to stop humiliating herself in front of Needle!
A hand brushes against her own, prompting Book to snap her eyelids open.
"It doesn't have to be just a prize."
Book looks up at Needle at the words, at the tender gleam in her gaze. Book's heart is nearly pounding out of her body with how rough each beat felt.
Needle suddenly closes the distance between them, her face just centimeters away from her own, her quiet breaths gracing Book's mouth.
When Book doesn't pull away, Needle presses her lips over Book's.
Book is shocked still for a second, staring at Needle's close-eyed face as she leans into her. She suddenly feels so much more sensitive, is hyperaware of the tingling feeling Needle's mouth gives her own, of Needle's hand holding her arm, of Needle being so intimate with her and oh my word Needle is kissing me.
She can't tell if her body is on autopilot or not, because she barely has the thought of reciprocating the kiss before her lips are puckering as much as they can under Needle's insistent touch, but what she can tell is that she likes this, really likes this, as she feels her mouth try to twist into a smile, but she has to beat it down to properly follow Needle's lead. Something tells her Needle feels it anyway, as her lips slightly perk up against her.
Finally, they're able to settle into each other, gaining control over their mouths again to fit them together as much as they can. They stay like that, still as statues, feeling the other for the first time in such a way, drinking in the warmth that came with the act. They stay for several minutes, until the adrenaline fades and their hearts slow and their lungs call for oxygen.
They part, out of breath, staring at each other for a few moments before an overwhelmingly giddy feeling takes hold of Book and she giggles. Needle's eyes narrow in question, but she's not far to follow as a few bursts of short laughter escape from her into the air.
Needle's hand falls from Book's arm down to her fist, and she nudges it open to wrap her fingers around Book's palm. Book imitates her and encloses her hand around Needle's. More fluttering erupts in her gut at the affectionate gesture.
Book is considering if she should go in for another kiss when two pairs of footsteps approach, and the two look up to see Pin and Coiny sprinting towards them.
"There you are! Come on, I want to swing! Let's swing!"
Needle is dragged away by Pin, and Book tries to let go of her hand so that Needle can go along with her Bunch buddies, but Needle's grip tightens, and Book is suddenly being pulled after the two of them.
Book makes a small questioning noise, and Needle looks back at her, smile growing as she beckons with her eyes to keep up.
Book grins and gains back her footing, boosting herself to run side-by-side with Needle. Pin is rambling on in the background about the finalists' swing, but Book can only focus on Needle's face in the fading sunlight, and the bubbling feeling in her stomach as Needle gazes back just as lovingly.
They keep their hands intertwined the whole way there, while they swing, and even after that, long into the night.