First things first, Maya’s afro was finally back!

The weaves were nice, yet nothing could beat her coils. Their voluptuous style turned heads full of admiration, envy and a good pinch of jealousy. Maya gambolled from the bathroom into the kitchen, where Val slid the fridge back into place after cleaning behind and under it.

“Val, you won’t believe what I—”

The Valkyrie handed her a cup of cappuccino topped with whipped cream before she could finish it. Maya instinctively took the cup and nipped on it. The caffeine buzz hit her immediately.

“You were. Saying?” Val brushed a lock of her hair back. The tips, once dyed brown, gradually returned to their original golden colour.

“Yes, ehm, I was saying.” Maya took another addicted sip. Now the butterflies in her stomach were abuzz. “I used my scales today, and you won’t believe it—I finally hit my July goal weight!”

She skirted around saying ‘Since I met you’. While it was true she’d gained most of the weight after getting together with Val, her weight fluctuations had always been erratic, something Val had no fault over.

Well, except for her addictive cooking, which she had since adjusted.

Val, however, couldn’t resist holding Maya’s plush waist and circling with her thumbs gently over her sides to make her squirm. Before she could wriggle away, Val absorbed her entire attention with a kiss, drawing her closer.

“I don’t mind. The weight. I like. Holding you,” Val confessed, her hand slipped under Maya’s shirt.

“I know,” Maya murmured with a dizzy smirk, gently removing Val’s hands back to waist level. “But I was thinking… Would you want to go out together? Like, on a proper date? I don’t think we’ve had one since, well, you fell to my life, and—”

Val folded her hands at the small of Maya’s back, drawing her into a hug and nuzzling her chin against Maya’s ear. She missed how her afro tickled against her skin.

“What do you. Have. In mind?”

Maya tried to pull back, but Val’s firm hold didn’t let her. She broke into laughter. “How about dinner out? Like other couples do?”

Val’s hands dropped to her sides as Maya rushed to explain.

“I-it’s just a thought! Other couples do it all the time! And I thought, why not? It’ll be nice, I swear. We can dress up. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

Rocking Maya from side to side, Val frowned in thought before she gave in with a meek nod. And when Maya emerged from her room later, dressed for the occasion, Val was glad she had agreed.

Her girlfriend stunned her.

Maya wore her jeans, which until recently had been too snug, now paired with her skinny belt that accentuated her waist and drew attention to her fuller, hourglass figure. She had chosen a black low-neckline top, something she usually avoided, but tonight, it felt right. Her dark skin and top made the neckline less overt, but to tease Val, she added a golden necklace that caught the light just enough to draw Val’s gaze.

“Well, didn’t you dress yourself up, huh?” Maya grinned, tilting her head slightly and revealing her gold stud earrings.

Val had braided her medium-long hair into an updo, securing it with delicate wing pins while leaving a few strands to frame her face. She wore a leather jacket and high-waisted pants with floral-patterned buttons. Her nail-shaped earring with a white pearl glinted faintly in the light.

“I did.” Val smiled softly, tucking her hands into her jacket. She blushed with pleasant surprise when Maya stuffed her hands into the back pockets of Val’s pants.

Her face glowed red. “Let’s go, then.”

‧. .✦ʚ♡ɞ✦. .‧

Val’s face was etched with scepticism at the sight of the restaurant Maya had chosen.

The restaurant had recently opened, following the closure of the previous one a month earlier and another five months before that. Despite the turnover, it quickly became popular among families and student couples, drawn by its themed decor, diverse menu, affordable prices, and inviting atmosphere.

Maya seemed excited. Val, however, desperately tried to hide her consternation.

“Maya?”

“Hm?”

“What restaurant. Is this?” she asked.

“I believe it’s a new Asian Restaurant—Japanese maybe?” She picked up the pamphlet, scanning it briefly. “At least that’s what they advertise here.”

Val snatched the red, blue, and golden pamphlet from Maya’s hands. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she took in the chaotic hotpot of cultural appropriation and marketing madness. A Torii gate stood prominently in the centre, flanked by a caricature of a plump Buddha wearing a cowboy hat. The pamphlet was littered with mismatched Chinese and Japanese characters, mistranslations for nearly every dish, and to top it off, a Korean tiger posed next to a Genghis Khan figurine, cheerfully wishing readers a ‘Bon appétit’.

Val already heard the terrible Italian accent echo inside her head.

She swallowed her irritation and did her best to ignore the decoration as she took her seat across from Maya. But the moment she opened the menu, her resolve wavered—she was seconds away from throwing a fit.

Meanwhile, Maya casually scanned the options. "Hmm, I’m not sure what I should order," she mused.

“Me. Neither,” Val hissed through gritted teeth.

Maya leaned over. Her necklace swung like a pendulum before her chest as she gestured to the menu. “How about we order single dishes? We can share the portions to try them—or just set them aside if we don’t like them.”

Val hid her blushing with the menu and mumbled, “Sounds… good…”

Then the order came. Val glared at her dumplings the same way she stared at the giant who once proposed to her on the walls of Asgard.

She hissed, “Those. Are. Not. My gyoza.”

“Hm?” Maya looked up and quickly swallowed her bite. “What did you get then?”

“Jiaozi.”

“Ok… What’s the difference?”

“Taste. Origin. Contents. And cooking method,” Val began, launching into a rant with animated gestures. “Jiaozi wrappers are. Thicker. And. Chewy. The fillings are more substantial. They include. Cabbage. Garlic. Ginger. Various other spices. And ground meat. They’re cooked by boiling, steaming or pan-fried. Boiled Jiaozi, shui jiao, and steamed Jiaozi, zheng jiao, are the most common preparation methods—”

Maya handed her a glass of water, and Val took a sip to compose herself before continuing.

“Gyoza, on the other hand,” she paused after taking another gulp. “Have thinner. More delicate. Wrappers. The meat is finely minced, with a subtle flavour, like much of Japanese cooking. They’re pan-fried to crisp perfection, then steamed with added broth to finish the dumplings.”

Val gasped and fumbled with her jacket to reach for her inhaler. She gasped again when she saw the waiter carrying a plate of tempura to the table behind them.

“You know a lot!” Maya almost shouted. She couldn’t hide the astonishment in her voice, or the fact that Val spoke almost without a break. It was a golden opportunity to squeeze some more memories out of her. “How many cuisines do you know? Is this all part of your Valkyrie training?”

Val took several breaths. “My sister, Zhou. She often cooked her. Family cuisine. With us. When we stayed. Around Handan. Back in the. 1980s.”

Val took a displeased bite from her spring rolls, and Maya tried to process the surge of information. She didn’t know where to start. The fact Val talked about her siblings or that she was even older than she looked. Maya was mystified.

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“How many sisters do you have? Are you all, well, blood-related?”

Val shook her head. “We are. Sisters-in-arms. We sleep. Train. And bleed. Together. We have been together. For a long. Time.”

“How many are you?”

“Four… no. Five?” Val ruffled her golden hair with an irritated look. “There is. Zhou. Alice. Marie. Ava… and… and… Tamara… our oldest… sister. I haven’t seen them since…”

Maya held Val’s hands. She didn’t need to fish for more answers when Val wasn’t ready yet. The mere memories hurt Val more than she openly admitted to.

“Did I tell you I have an older brother?”

This brought Val’s attention back to Maya. She glanced up. Her hair parted slightly to reveal her reddened eyes.

“He’s my half-brother, and we’re four—almost five—years apart. We always got along fine, though,” Maya said with a giggle, reminiscing. “He did get us into a lot of trouble with our mum.”

Her smile faded slightly. “His name’s Chris, but we haven’t spoken since I started university a few years ago. He had a big argument with our parents, especially our mother… I haven’t heard of him since.”

Maya glanced up at Val, who had a distant look on her face. “How about we share some fun stories about our siblings instead?” She offered a genuine smile, doing her best to lighten up the mood. “Maybe over some dessert?”

The Valkyrie stroked Maya’s hand and got the dessert card out of her reach. “Dessert can wait. For later.” Val gave Maya a mischievous twinkle and held the card before her mouth. “How about. Some authentic cuisine?”

‧. .✦ʚ♡ɞ✦. .‧

“Mhy thongue…” huffed Maya. “Mhy phoor thonuge.”

Maya stuck out her tongue and fanned her face like crazy. She felt like she was on fire.

Val had dragged them to a new restaurant. Baby blue wallpapers and chairs decorated the interior. Bamboo grew towards the ceiling from the corner of the place where the bartender/owner cleaned the counter.

Maya contemplated to ask for some water but could barely bring out a word from her dying tongue. The thing Val ordered was like a nuclear power plant of spiciness, which was still the mildest version on the menu.

The Mapo Tofu melted Maya’s senses away. She wasn’t used to eating spicy stuff. No one in the Netherlands was. On the other hand, Val asked for more chilli flakes and powder to add to her dish.

This must be a Valkyrie thing. Surviving Sichuan cuisine, thought Maya, fanning her ways fervently. My poor tongue, ow, ow, ow. My body is overheating already.

“Zhou was famous. For holding eating contests,” Val explained between bites. She wiped some of the sauce away from her lips. “She often tried to see who. Would survive the longest. From her dishes. Alice and Marie. Almost always died first. Ava and I asked for seconds. Tamara could barely. Eat it.”

Val took another bite of the tofu and chewed on it absently. The memories of her sisters weigh heavily on her. She glinted over to Maya who fanned herself some wind.

“You’re cute,” teased Val.

She reminds me. Of. You.

“Stop it.” Maya sheepishly tugged at her top, the spices did her no favours for her usually high body temperature. She took another bite, hoping to distract herself from Val’s teasing. “Your sisters remind me of how Chris and I used to stir up chaos around the house. We even had a betting board for who would get hurt the most. He always won, but when I broke my leg, our parents grounded us until it healed. Not that it stopped us from finding even more ways to get into trouble. Mom used to call us her ‘sweet little devils’.”

Val simpered reminiscently. “Sounds like something. Tamara would say. To us.”

“Really?” Maya giggled when she imagined Val being a rascal. “Why?”

Val put down her spoon and rested her chin on her hand. “She’d call us. Her ‘faen’. Little devils. For her. We were all. Unique.

“Alice’s the sweetest. And youngest. But she could cleave a drengr. A Viking Warrior. In half. With her oversized. Battle axe. Like a little. Sister. We love her.

“Marie is. Fierce. And talks loudly. But she loves feeding. Local animals wherever we. Went. She sewed our dresses when they. Tore.

“Ava died late. In her late. 40s. She doesn’t talk often. But she loosens up when. Drinking. And swears like a drunk drengr. She was terrible. Playing the. Balalaika.

“Zhou’s the smallest of us. She’s a cooking. Master. And spends her days trying out new spices. And dishes. In every place.

Val smacked her lips, yearning for a drink. And Tamara… She’s…

“What about you?” asked Maya. “What were you like? Quiet and composed but with a secret wild side?” Maya smirked at the thought. “What were your Valkyrie days like?”

Craning her neck, Val couldn’t ignore the dryness in her throat anymore. She had complicated feelings about being a Valkyrie. She wanted to share them with Maya, but first, she needed some courage.

As her sister Ava would say, ‘Liquid Courage’.

“Maya~” Val drawled into Maya’s ear and her blonde hair strains covered half of her face. “Care for. A drink?”

‧. .✦ʚ♡ɞ✦. .‧

Alcohol wasn’t the most exciting thing for Maya. One sip was more than enough whenever there was something to celebrate, but that was about it. She had nothing left for the bitter or burning taste of alcohol.

Yet, a blissful dizziness overtook her as Val shrugged off her leather jacket, unveiling a breezy, peach-coloured button-up top. Most of the buttons were left undone, offering a deliberate glimpse for Maya at the Valkyrie’s open neckline.

A warm hand slid around Maya’s waist, drawing her into a playful embrace.

“We barely started drinking,” Maya giggled as she drew circles with her fingers on Val’s blouse. “You already act like you’re drunk.”

Val blew into Maya’s ear, whispering, “Around you. I feel like that. All day.”

Maya’s fingers dug into Val’s arm, holding them firmly. The words got stuck in her mouth, unable to say or breathe anything in all the excitement.

Then, the barkeeper cleared her throat in front of the couple. She was barely in the mood for the lovey-dovey action. “Hi, I’m Ice. What drinks do you want?”

Maya’s eyes wandered to her girlfriend. “Can you recommend something, Val?”

Val smiled as she glanced down at Maya. Her finger brushed over Maya’s plump lips, glistering with dark lipstick. “How about. A Tequilla. Sunrise? And a Negroni. For me.”

Maya creased her brow about the choice. “I’m not sure. Sounds strong—”

“Here’s the drink.” Ice promptly delivered Maya’s beverage, followed promptly by Val’s. “Enjoy. Try not to go overboard, lovebirds.”

Maya eyeballed her drink awkwardly The vibrant gradient of orange and red reminded her of a sunrise, befitting its name. The ice swam around the little umbrella, making Maya tempted to actually try it.

Val’s bold red negroni, however, was already at her lips as if she had parched for hours. It somehow made the Valkyrie more sophisticated when she drank.

Ah, what the heck. I should try it!

A shiver ran down her spine as the tequila hit her tongue—a strong yet sweet taste. As if orange juice and grenadine teamed up to gently burn her throat. Maya squealed, both from the bold flavour and Val when she rubbed her head affectionately against hers, drawing out a flustered laugh.

They sat down at the bar and talked like a normal couple who enjoyed their drinks. The heat of the scene and alcohol clouded their minds.

“Wait, so you’re telling me you’re Canadian?” Maya tried to keep her head straight. “Seriously?”

“And your mum’s. American.” Val sipped her negroni. She was amused by how much Maya could hold her drink.

“My mum is American, yeah, but,” Maya nipped at her tequila, feeling the joy that came with the conversation. “What’s the story?”

Val leaned back, thinking back to the past. To the maple leaves. The snow. And her family. “ Back in the. 1800s. My pa helped slaves escape. Through the underground. Railroad. And eventually. Found helped my ma. And they. Married.

“1800s…” mused Maya. “I am dating an older woman 200 years my senior.”

“I’m not. Old.” Val rested her cheek against her palm and tugged on her blouse. She popped another button, revealing more parts of her decollete for Maya to look at.

And Maya looked. There was a sheen to Val’s brown cleavage she couldn’t shake off seeing.

The alcohol is getting to me now. Maya laughed, trying to casually lean forward, but her hands slipped on the counter. Val caught her by surprise and found Maya nestling her face into Val’s neck.

A mumble escaped Maya.

“Can’t hear you,” giggled Val. “You’re talking. To my. Chest.”

“How did you die?” asked Maya, draining the atmosphere. “I want to know.”

Val grew quiet. She had shared with Maya what she could remember of her family, but that was it. The gruesome parts remained untouched.

“War,” she said. “My dad never came. Home. My brothers followed him. Then soldiers came. They saw my mother. And killed her. I ran with my. Sisters.

“We got lost. In the woods. I think one survived… can’t… remember. Militia found me. And I joined. With my father’s. Rifle and axe. We scouted and fought. Lundy’s Lane was. Terrible… We held the line. We won… but I…”

Val’s voice strained, and Maya’s hug tightened on her. “I understand,” she said. “Thank you, for sharing. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been.”

“It’. Fine” Val pulled Maya closer to her, almost lifting her from her seat. “With you. I can share. Everything.”

“I’m glad.” Maya sniffed and pulled Val into a long kiss. “I want to know if you hurt. I want to know if you’re happy. All the time. I want to help you and one day, have you see your family again.”

“I will. But Maya.” Val rested her forehead against Maya’s. “You’re part. Of my life. Too. Tell me everything. You can. Promise?”

“Promise.” Maya pressed herself against Val, feeling her body follow her tipsy mind. The air was getting hot now. “Should we head back now?”

Val grinned at the proposition, gliding her hand under Maya’s top. “Thought you’d. Never. Ask.”

“Miss,” Ice, the barista-owner/barkeeper/mood-breaker, called out to them. “Please pay your bill before devouring your partner.”

Maya hastily pulled Val’s wandering hands out from under her top. “Right, of course,” she replied and fumbled through her purse while Val anxiously brushed over her hair as she waited. “Here you go.”

Maya handed Ice her bank card and turned back at Val as they stood up. Straightening her posture, Maya stuck out her chest. “Well, ehm, where did we leave off?”

The Valkyrie came closer and wrapped her arms around Maya’s waist, resting her hands on her back pockets. When she pulled her closer, Maya almost squealed in delight. She rested her hands on Val’s waist and was kissed on the forehead. Maya caressed Val's face and tiptoed to plant a gentle kiss on her girlfriend's lips.

Both drew deeper into the kiss, almost forgetting their worries and surroundings until the killjoy owner called out to them again. The woman harrumphed half-annoyed and half-flustered at the couple. She held up the red display of the card reader.

“Your card was declined.”