The beginnings of a rainstorm pattered quietly against the window. Clouds covered the last of the waning sun’s light, leaving little natural lighting in the apartment. A damp gray painted the kitchen in melancholy, appliances left as nothing more than silhouettes in the gloom.

With a tiny ‘click,’ the lights came on. Shadows appeared beneath chairs, behind doors, within drawers. Grace stepped into the artificially-lit room, her arms stuffed in the pocket of a dark-green hoodie. One hand reached out and pulled the refrigerator open with a soft crackle. The faint, electric buzz of a machine at work grew louder and a new light painted a new set of shadows across the floor.

Crouching down, Grace slid the crisper open. The rustling of produce bags covered over the pitter-patter of raindrops for a time. “Hmmmm. Peppers, celery, carrots, onion, tomato.... Lily?” she called, raising her voice to carry to the bedrooms. “What sounds better tonight: rice? or potatoes?”

Lily had been lost in thought on her bed, her attention half on the latest issue of "Wonder Woman", and half lost in the events of the previous few hours. How in the hell would she tell her best friend that she'd been fired? That she wouldn't be able to play her share of the rent and utilities until such a time she found something new?

The industry she was in was rather small here too, and she knew full well that the thing that had got her fired would have flown around like bees to honey. It was already difficult enough landing her job in the first place. But, she knew that she had to tell Grave at some point. The brunette was her best friend after all, and Lily kept no secrets from her at all. Grace had been the first not to call her Lily, the first to accept the fact she didn't feel she were a man.. That she knew she should have been born a woman. It was so.. empowering to come out to Grace, and to be loved for whom she was. Lily owed the other woman the world.

"How about a little of both?" She suggested as she padded into the kitchen, her feet bare. Dressed in a tank top and shorts, the pink haired woman looked utterly exhausted. A small smile graced her lips, which she pressed to the slightly taller woman's cheek in a greeting. It was habit to do this, and rather routine too.

The sound of rain still echoed around the room, rather louder now as the heavens seemed to burst open. It was as though Thor himself was dictating the weather as thunder cracked and lightning flashed in the distance. it was actually quite nice. Lily liked storms. There was just something so cleansing about the whole thing. The smell of fresh air after a storm, the fact the heatwave would finally be broken. A bit like her spirit, in fact..

"Both?" she echoed, her brow scrunching in contemplation. Moments passed listening to the rain as gears visibly turned in Grace's head. "Alright," she finally answered, her face breaking into a smile. "I have a way to do both! If you'll start the ricemaker, I can begin frying some veggies."

Grace pulled open the closet just outside the kitchen and retrieved her favorite apron from its hook on the back of the door. It was a soft blue, and a peace sign with every color in the rainbow covered the chest. She pulled it on over her hoodie and capris, tying it quickly behind her back before diving into the fridge once more.

"So you should have seen Miri at work today," Grace commented, starting up the conversation. "I'm sorting through our dubstep tracks when she walks over, waving her phone. 'You have to play this one,' she tells me. I put an earbud in and almost screamed; there wasn't anything but over-electrified guitar chords and feedback loops. 'I can't play that on air!' I told her, but she kept trying all day. Something about 'the next era for music,' she insisted." Grace laughed happily. "I mean, the station is hardly radio classical, but that was just too much for anyone who's not Miri."

With a nod in response, Lily pushed herself up onto her tiptoes to retrieve the ricemaker from the cupboard before plugging the black and silver device into the wall, powering it on with a simple flick of the switch. She opted not to bother with an apron, knowing she'd be placing these clothes into the washer after dinner and her shower anyway. Glancing over as the taller girl spoke, Lily listened intently.

"I can imagine.." She smiled, her voice as soft and gentle as ever. A hint of sorrow seemed to be reflected in it, a far cry from her usually bubbly and bright voice. Still, she kept her attention focused on making the meal now. Anything to keep her mind off what had happened that day. Glancing over at her best friend, Lily didn't say a word more before returning her attention to the ricemaker.

Grace slid out the cutting board and readied the first pepper beneath her knife. "Right? I do like my job at this station, but some of my coworkers' tastes in music are so weird! If I could make my own radio station, it would have a lot of orchestras and symphonies along with the newer techno pieces. Maybe I could even sneak some of my own violin pieces onto the air!" Grace turned to her friend and grinned. "Just kidding! Nothing I've made is anywhere close to being ready to share on the radio."

She turned back to her knife, dicing a stalk of celery with short, rapid strokes. Then she reached for the onion, though she hesitated a moment when it came under her blade. After a breath to resolve herself, she started cutting it into strips.

"You're a lot better then you give yourself credit for, you know." Lily spoke up after a few seconds of thought, glancing at the taller and much loved companion of hers. "After all, I'm pretty sure you've won awards an' stuff at school for it all." She had picked up on her friend's hesitation before she began to cut the onion before picking up on why she likely paused.

"So, I thought I might look for a new job." Lily began, trying her very best to sound casual though her voice quivered a little as she spoke. "Because.. I kinda don't have one." She faltered, tears in her eyes as one ran down her cheek and dripped from her chin onto the kitchen counter. Dropping the spoon she'd been holding, Lily darted from the kitchen and ran into her own bedroom.

"Thanks! If Lily says so, it must be true!" Grace answered happily. Lily always did know what to say to maintain her ego; without such a kind roommate, she wouldn't have half the confidence in her work she did.

That was why it stung all the more when she finally realized Lily was crying. As the small girl darted back to her room, Grace couldn't do more than watch. Reflecting on the conversation over the evening, she mentally berated herself for not realizing sooner how depressed Lily had been feeling. Cutting all the heat and tossing on a lid to keep the half-cooked meal, Grace shed the apron and darted after her roommate.

"Lily!" she called outside the door. Carefully she tapped on the wooden barrier her friend had closed between them. "Please, please let me in. I'm sorry I was being insensitive, I should have realized something was-" she called. Tears began welling up in her eyes, too.

Lily stood up after about five minutes, pushing her hair away from her tear stained face. The strands that covered her face were drenched, as was the pillow that the small girl had been crying into since she ran from Grace. Telling her best friend that she'd lost her job had been rather too much, as well as the other various things that had been going on recently.

Opening her door, Lily looked up at Grace before flinging her arms around the taller girl and burying her face in her chest as she began to cry into it in a fearful way. Her entire body shook, not helped by the fact she was pushed up on her own tiptoes to try and gain some more height. "I'm sorry." Lily sobbed into Grace, not wanting to look up nor to let go right now.

"No, no, you've done nothing wrong," Grace cooed gently. She held her friend close, as though she feared Lily might disappear if she let go. Minutes ticked by as they stood there, Lily sobbing quietly, Grace trying to soothe her. Only when Lily had regained some control of her tear ducts did Grace try to learn anything more. "You know I love you; I always will. So go ahead and let it out. I'll listen to the whole story, and you know I'm on your side."

Lily sniffled and nodded, taking her best friend by the hand as she made her way back into the bedroom where Lily had spent most her time when Grave wasn't home. Sitting on the bed, the tiny woman wiped her face down the best she could before eventually starting to speak to her constant and confident companion.

Looking up at the taller girl, Lily finally spoke. "Ashley found out about me.. my.." She stuttered, trying to express what she meant without using such words as had been said to her earlier that very same day. "She knows... She knows I wasn't born as Lily." She sighed, resting her head on her best friend's side. It hurt to admit this, as Lily knew it'd been why she lost her job. "My boss told me to get out and get my paycheck on the way out the door." Lily wiped her face, feeling more tears in her eyes.

"Oh, love." There wasn't much more Grace could say. She just held her friend close. "She just doesn't understand. Lily is my Lily." Grace wished she could fix this, or have prevented it somehow. Lily had come to her--right in the center of the Bible belt--and that meant Grace was responsible for taking care of her in this city that was less than friendly to someone of Lily's status.

"Come on; we'll finish a good meal together, then have a party night. Movie and ice cream, or music and a dance party. Your choice."

Lily looked up at her best friend, wiping her face then giving her a small and sad little nod. She still felt hurt, but knew that her beautiful Grace would still love and protect her now. Lily wasn't brave, or strong, not like the one person she loved. She admired Grace for a lot, but her best friend was so damn strong and so damn confident it made the smaller woman's heart ache for the love and affection she craved. Lily wanted, no, needed to feel Grace's arms around her every night, her warm and cosy body close enough to cuddle up to if Lily were scared or alone. Not that she would be.

"Wait, Grace..." Lily spoke out, taking the other by the hand. "I don't want a movie night, or ice cream, or anything like that.." Her small form shifted, kneeling up on the bed to make things a touch easier. "I want this." Lily swallowed, then lent in and pressed her soft and warm lips against her best friend's in hopes of a kiss in return. Her tiny body curled up into Grace a little, breaking the kiss to see how the other would react.

Grace's body tensed. She couldn't stop it; the kiss took her completely by surprise. When Lily broke off and curled up against her, Grace wrapped her arms tightly over her shoulders--to keep her close, yes, but with enough strength to prevent her from moving up again. She needed time to process what had just happened. But there wasn't any time. Lily was right there, now, and undoubtedly waiting for something. Acceptance. Rejection. Something.

"Um...We should at least go eat dinner, though," she stuttered. She avoided. "It's still half-finished and on the stove. And food is good! Food... definitely helps..." Grace loosened her grip and pulled her head and chest back so she could try to make eye contact with Lily, offering her the best smile she could, praying desperately it didn't look weird.