storypaint (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
storypaint) wrote2015-07-28 07:33 pm
storypaint) wrote2015-07-28 07:33 pm
[Brooklyn 99] three times is true (Rosa/Gina/Amy)
Title: three times is true
Fandom: Brooklyn 99
Length: 3348 words
Prompt: Rosa/Gina/Amy OT3 for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
nightonficmountain for controlscircus.
Pairing: Rosa/Gina/Amy
Other: Also at AO3.
Excerpt: They didn't often agree on anything, but if you asked Rosa, Gina, and Amy, they'd all tell you: it was Gina who started it. Gina liked to tell the story to anyone who looked like they had a spare moment; she loved to brag on her sexual prowess vis-à-vis having two girlfriends.
"It's exhausting," she always said, nodding with a little smug look on her face, "but I find it's worth it."
They didn't often agree on anything, but if you asked Rosa, Gina, and Amy, they'd all tell you: it was Gina who started it. Gina liked to tell the story to anyone who looked like they had a spare moment; she loved to brag on her sexual prowess vis-à-vis having two girlfriends.
"It's exhausting," she always said, nodding with a little smug look on her face, "but I find it's worth it."
Okay, maybe there were two things they could all agree on.
*
It started innocently enough, with Rosa breaking up with Marcus. Rosa would never have admitted to it, but Amy saw the edge of a consolation card tucked under the paperwork for a case that she and Rosa were working on together. At least, that's what she told Rosa when she found her in the bathroom, scowling into the mirror.
"Why did Kevin send you a condolences card?" Amy asked, and she knew as soon as the words came out of her mouth that she sounded demanding, even though she hadn't meant to.
"Why are you looking at stuff on my desk?" Rosa countered, turning her stare on Amy. Amy couldn't understand how Rosa weaponized her lipstick, but she had; Amy was a little terrified of it.
"The Moralez case," Amy said, too quickly, and she held up the folder, because she'd brought it into the bathroom with her as proof. Which, she now realized, was really, really weird. "Rosa, are you okay? Do you -- did your mother die? Or something?"
Rosa muttered something that might have been, "I wish." Amy chose to ignore it. "It's not a big deal," she said. "I broke up with Marcus. Kevin just really likes sending cards. I forgot to toss it."
Amy immediately thought that she'd never received a card from Kevin and then just crushed that impulse digression, frowning.
"We could go out?" she suggested. "Have... whiskey and complain about boys?"
Rosa laughed. "I'd like to see you drink whiskey," she said. "Fine. Thursday. Usual bar. If you bring a card, I'm leaving."
Amy was surprised, and Rosa knew it, which was probably why she smiled when she brushed by Amy out of the bathroom. Amy stood there a moment, awkwardly.
"Awwright!" Gina shouted from one of the stalls. She flushed and came out. "Girls' night!"
"Uhhh..." Amy said.
"Have you ever drank whiskey?" Gina asked. "You need my help."
Amy couldn't deny that.
*
Gina, as it turned out, never drank scotch either. She kissed Amy twice, once on the lips, and also the bartender and at least one person on the way to the bathroom.
"We're trying to cheer up Rosa!" Amy whispered loudly into Gina's ear, smelling her flowery shampoo underneath the alcohol burn.
"You are," Rosa said, watching.
*
When Amy woke up the next morning in her own bed, the curtains open and the sun shining daggers into her eyes, she was pretty sure that it was Rosa's fault. In the best of ways. Rosa must have gotten her home, because Amy didn't remember much after Gina started kissing her again with vigor, and once she remembered that, she didn't want to remember anything else. She moaned and threw the blanket up over her head, but it was still too bright.
She'd kissed girls before. Seriously. Gina might not have believed her when she said it, but Amy saw no reason to limit her future prospects to one side of the fence. She mostly dated men, because it was easier to find men, but she'd gone on a few dates with a cute female hairdresser last year. It hadn't worked out, but that wasn't because she didn't like women. She just never said anything about it at work because it was hard enough being a young, female Latina on the police force without adding bisexual to that label. And she'd never, ever hear the end of it from Jake.
Her sexuality was not a joke. But everything about her was a joke to Gina. Gina always made her feel small.
Amy went back to sleep. She woke up an hour later when her phone chirped.
(555) 805-1211 Gina Rosetti 4:03AM
great nite lets do it again
Amy didn't text her back. She took a very long shower instead.
*
"You didn't text me back!" Gina said, settling into Amy's chair like it was her own. She put her feet up on Amy's desk.
"I didn't either," Rosa pointed out from the other desk. Maybe Amy was imagining it, but Rosa looked a bit happier today. Amy almost felt recovered. Maybe, it had been worth it.
"You never answer your text messages," Gina said. "Amy always does."
"Not always!" Amy protested, but Gina put up a hand to cut her off.
"You. Me. Rosa. Sausage festival on 3rd. You in?" Gina asked.
Holt called Gina's name; he didn't seem pleased.
"I'll text you the deets," Gina promised, getting out of Amy's chair and taking her time to get to her own. Amy's eyes moved to follow the swing of Gina's hips.
"I don't like sausage," Rosa said.
"Me neither," Amy said. She'd once watched a documentary on how sausage was made. She hadn't liked it before, but now she had really good reasons.
"Let's go to that little Spanish cafe down 5th instead," Rosa said.
"I'm in," Amy squeaked.
*
Gina didn't try to kiss her again, but on their way back to the precinct, she asked Amy if she wanted to go for dinner, just the two of them.
"Really?" Amy asked.
"Uh, yeah. You're not repulsive, Amy, you just need to lighten up a little," Gina said. "I can help you with that." She winked.
"I need you to take me seriously," Amy said, glancing behind them; Rosa had stepped into a bodega for a coffee so at least she wasn't around to witness the conversation.
"Amy, you need someone who doesn't take you seriously," Gina said. "Lighten up a little! It's just dinner, I'm not proposing."
"Fine," Amy said. "I get to pick the restaurant."
"Hiss," Gina said, putting her hands up in claws, but she was still smiling, so Amy made reservations.
*
Amy had had way more disastrous dates. Was that sad? She had a good time, actually. The dinner at the little restaurant Boyle had recommended was amazing. Gina suggested a movie afterwards, and she got excited when Amy suggested going to the little arthouse theater down the block. Amy had always wanted to go, but not by herself, and Gina said she really admired the red velvet curtains. Amy caught her wiping away a tear during the saddest part of the black-and-white picture, though, and she was charmed. They went to a coffeehouse afterwards and debated reality television. Gina was alarmingly pro, and by the end of the night, Amy had slid her shoes halfway off and admitted to watching Survivor. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so much.
Gina was friendly the next day at work, but no more than usual. She winked at Amy once, when no one else was looking. Amy squeezed her thighs together.
They didn't go out again the next night. Amy had book club and Gina had dance rehearsal, and that was perfectly fine. After her club ended, Amy thought about it, and then she texted Gina good night.
Gina texted her back ten minutes later with a picture of her foot in her practice dance shoes.
(555) 805-1211 Gina Rosetti 9:11PM
dancin the nite away, xoxo
Amy saved the text message.
*
"I can't tonight," Rosa said. She didn't seem disappointed, but maybe trivia night just wasn't her thing. Amy had exactly two takers so far, and if she brought Hitchcock and Scully she might actually end up with negative points. Amy sighed.
"Everyone's busy! Even Gina, and she loves leaving the house for no reason," Amy said.
"Maybe she has something better to do," Rosa said, and she almost sounded guilty. Amy had to work harder on interpreting Rosa's moods, because that made no sense.
"Better than trivia?"
Jake couldn't help it; he burst out laughing, and he wouldn't quit until Charles asked him to help apprehend a suspect. Amy was definitely crossing him off the invite list.
She asked Charles after he got back, though, because she could use some assistance with the food category.
*
The next day Rosa came into work with a large swathe of white tape across her nose. Amy was definitely not staring, but Rosa was growling a little under her breath anyway.
"Don't ask," Rosa said.
Amy wasn't going to ask. But she ran into Gina in the breakroom over lunch and Gina told her the whole story without prompting. Rosa was part of a roller derby team and Gina had gone to her bout. Apparently roller rinks had gotten a lot more dangerous since Amy was a kid, but Rosa had scored at least twelve points. Gina was sparkling with amusement.
"Sounds fun," Amy said. She wondered why Rosa had told Gina about her hobby; normally Rosa refused to share any details of her personal life with coworkers.
Gina waved a hand. "You would have hated it. Hey, want to get dinner tomorrow?"
"Yes," Amy said, too quickly, and Gina grinned.
*
Amy and Gina went out on three more dates before Amy found herself in the middle of Gina's fluffy bed. Gina had enough pillows for ten people and zebra-print sheets. Amy didn't care. The crook of her neck smelled like strawberry shampoo.
Amy liked sex -- who didn't? But she had a hard time getting out of her brain and into the moment. Her partner always had to tell her to relax at some point. But being with Gina was different. Gina was pushy, but giving in return, and great at sharing instructions in that low, bright voice of hers. She didn't give Amy time to be self-conscious, and her hands were magical.
Afterwards, Gina sat on her stomach until she agreed to watch at least one episode of Say Yes to the Dress. Amy didn't protest too much. She was pretty tired at work the next day, but she drank so much coffee that her leg started to vibrate a little.
Gina texted her a lot of emoticons and Amy texted her back on her breaks. She drew a little heart in the corner of one of her reports and had to find her white-out. She brushed it on carefully and inhaled the sharp smell, pretending that was the reason that she felt so light-headed.
She was way too old to be feeling like this, but she didn't want to stop either.
"What are you so happy about?" Jake asked.
"I, uh, knitting group tonight!" she said. She wasn't ready to tell anyone in the office about her and Gina, not yet.
"Me too!" Terry said, passing by her desk and giving her a high five. "I'm making booties!"
"Knitting isn't any fun, you aren't allowed to stab anything but yarn," Jake said, already bored with the conversation.
"It's really relaxing, actually," Terry said. "You should try it sometime."
"Maybe never," Jake said, flipping a pencil up off his desk and into the ceiling.
Sometimes, Amy really wondered what she'd ever seen in him.
*
Eventually Amy and Gina settled into a routine. They went out once a week and stayed in together at least one weekend afternoon. Amy left a toothbrush in Gina's apartment, and Gina bedazzled it with her name. Gina even agreed to visit Amy's place once in a while, as long as she was allowed to bring her own pillows. She often brought along knickknacks or glitter to brighten up the place. Amy liked them, even though they didn't fit with her decor, because they reminded her of Gina.
It was pretty much perfect until the day that Gina pulled her and Rosa into the evidence locker and said, "Okay, so on the advice of my life coach, I'm trying to simplify my life and consolidate my relationships, and I thought it would be much, much easier if you both dated me together. Does that work for everyone?"
"What," Amy said, staring at Rosa to see if she'd had any idea this was going on.
Rosa's return gaze was openly hostile, so she guessed not.
"What is wrong with you, Gina?" Rosa asked.
"Hey, hey, chill your grills, ladies. You have a lot in common and if you've never thought about having a all-girl threesome, you're lying." Gina lifted her eyebrows, offering a hand to each of them. "I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't think it would be great."
"What the hell," Rosa and Amy said at the same time. Amy could feel her lips trembling and it made her even more upset. She didn't want to start crying at work. Why had Gina chosen right now to tell her that she'd been secretly dating Rosa too? She wondered if Rosa had been a better girlfriend. Maybe she just expected Amy to break up with her in shame. Some detective she was -- she'd had absolutely no idea.
"This is not cool," Rosa said, voice level, and she turned and left, slamming the door behind her.
"Yeah!" Amy said, for lack of anything better. She wanted to walk off in the opposite direction but there was only one door, so instead she followed Rosa out and detoured into the ladies room for a minute. She sat on the toilet and practiced deep breathing, trying not to think about all the high school lunch periods she'd spent in the same way. She'd thought she was beyond that life now. She'd thought she had it figured out.
"Don't tell me you've never thought about it," Gina's words echoed in her memory.
And she had, she had, but --
That didn't make it right. Right?
*
Amy was never sure if Captain Holt was a mastermind, or if he just refused to consider interpersonal problems in his precinct. She knew he was brilliant, but if he had any flaw, it would be understanding people's interactions. He used to pair her and Jake up all the time last year when they were working through their weird attraction to each other, seeming like he didn't care about their rivalry or their feelings.
And now he'd sent her out on a stakeout with Rosa, despite the fact that Rosa hadn't spoken to her at all for two weeks. She forced Charles to deliver any necessary communications between them, and Amy was already getting tired of Boyle scurrying over to tell her that Rosa was going on lunch and wanted her to take her phone messages.
The silence in the car was oppressive. Amy was feeling frustrated herself. It certainly wasn't her fault that Gina had been going behind both their backs, and she was just as upset with the idea. Plus, Rosa was even more attractive and terrifying when she was angry. She shifted in her seat and crossed her arms over her leather jacket. Amy had tried a few conversational sallies, but they'd been met with rude grunts at best, and just an eyebrow at worst.
"Look," Amy said. "We can't keep this up. I'm not mad at you."
Rosa rolled her eyes. She leaned forward and peered out the windshield.
"If -- in different circumstances," Amy tried again.
"Just spit it out," Rosa growled, and Amy leaned over the shifter and kissed her. It was not a good kiss; Amy's face was sweaty and she could feel her own hand too hot on Rosa's thigh.
Rosa kissed her back. Amy didn't realize at first, because Rosa was slow to respond, but when Amy tried to pull away, Rosa growled a little and bit Amy's lip. A rush of desire flooded Amy until Rosa pushed her away.
"Is this how you want to get back at her?" Rosa asked, scowling. Amy couldn't take her eyes off Rosa's lips.
"No," Amy said. "No, I just... This is crazy. It's crazy, right? I shouldn't have done that."
Rosa shrugged.
"Probably not," Rosa said. "Someone just came out of the warehouse, is that him?"
Amy craned her neck forward and then shook her head.
"Let's try again," Rosa said, with one of the little private smiles she rarely shared, and it was a better kiss that time for sure.
"This is crazy," Amy repeated when they separated for air.
"You're right," Rosa said. "Holt would have our hides if he knew we weren't watching the building. Boyle and Peralta should be here in an hour. Think you can keep your hands to yourself until then?"
A little, "Oh!" escaped Amy before she could prevent it. She wiped her mouth and then nodded, settling back into her seat and occasionally sneaking glances at Rosa, like she wasn't sure that this had really happened.
"Gina is going to be so smug," Rosa said, irritably.
*
Gina didn't even have the grace to look surprised when Rosa and Amy showed up on her doorstep. She grinned at them both and clapped her hands.
"Ooh, I get to have my cake and eat it too!" she said cheerfully.
"I'm not the cake," Rosa said sourly.
"Hey!" Amy said, and Rosa nudged her in an almost friendly way. Then she reached down and deliberately cupped Amy's ass in one hand.
Amy blushed. Gina's smile grew brighter somehow. She reached out and grabbed Amy's hip, pulling her into the apartment. Rosa followed behind.
"I want to talk about this. Properly," Amy said. They had to do it now, before they started kissing, or they'd never talk about it.
"What does that even mean?" Gina asked, sighing.
"I mean--" Amy broke free of their grasps and turned to face them -- "I don't want this to be just sex. What about you?"
She looked from Rosa to Gina. Gina spoke first. "Hey, that's exactly what I want. Simplify, consolidate, etcetera etcetera. I like you guys. I have been putting in effort."
Rosa was silent. Gina and Amy looked at her.
"I'm not good at letting people in," Rosa said. "...But you've wormed your way into my life. Both of you."
"Not a metaphor I like," Gina said lightly, but she leaned forward and kissed Rosa, slowly but with an intensity that Amy could only watch. She placed a hand on Rosa's face and stroked her cheek. Although Amy had been on the receiving end of that kiss before, she'd never seen it from the outside. She immediately wanted to be in the middle of it. She'd wanted to talk more -- but that could be done afterwards, lying in Gina's comfortable bed.
"You just going to watch?" Rosa said, voice husky, when Gina broke the kiss, and Amy reached out for them both.
*
They kept their secret for exactly three months and then it all came out, after a sequence of events that included a Halloween mask, two arrests, and one dangerous bet. Gina loved the attention, Holt gave them his blankest look, and Jake alternated between grinning and being disappointed.
After a while, the precinct quieted down again, and no one blinked an eye when the three of them showed up together to Raymond and Kevin's vow renewal. (Marcus was there, and he and Rosa exchanged a friendly nod. His date was short and dark-haired and she seemed very nice, but Rosa wasn't going to be that polite.) Gina danced and Amy drank until she felt like she could dance, and the two of them dragged Rosa onto the floor.
"I am not doing the chicken dance," Rosa said, through clenched teeth, but her look was soft, and when one of Kevin's nephews tried to cut in, later, she told him to go away. They swayed together, looking like the smallest football huddle, but Amy didn't care what they looked like. She was a little tipsy, and very happy, with a hand tucked around Rosa's bicep and Gina's hand warm on the small of her back.
"Worth it," Amy said, to herself, and Elvis Presley sang on through the speakers.
Fandom: Brooklyn 99
Length: 3348 words
Prompt: Rosa/Gina/Amy OT3 for
nightonficmountain for controlscircus.Pairing: Rosa/Gina/Amy
Other: Also at AO3.
Excerpt: They didn't often agree on anything, but if you asked Rosa, Gina, and Amy, they'd all tell you: it was Gina who started it. Gina liked to tell the story to anyone who looked like they had a spare moment; she loved to brag on her sexual prowess vis-à-vis having two girlfriends.
"It's exhausting," she always said, nodding with a little smug look on her face, "but I find it's worth it."
They didn't often agree on anything, but if you asked Rosa, Gina, and Amy, they'd all tell you: it was Gina who started it. Gina liked to tell the story to anyone who looked like they had a spare moment; she loved to brag on her sexual prowess vis-à-vis having two girlfriends.
"It's exhausting," she always said, nodding with a little smug look on her face, "but I find it's worth it."
Okay, maybe there were two things they could all agree on.
*
It started innocently enough, with Rosa breaking up with Marcus. Rosa would never have admitted to it, but Amy saw the edge of a consolation card tucked under the paperwork for a case that she and Rosa were working on together. At least, that's what she told Rosa when she found her in the bathroom, scowling into the mirror.
"Why did Kevin send you a condolences card?" Amy asked, and she knew as soon as the words came out of her mouth that she sounded demanding, even though she hadn't meant to.
"Why are you looking at stuff on my desk?" Rosa countered, turning her stare on Amy. Amy couldn't understand how Rosa weaponized her lipstick, but she had; Amy was a little terrified of it.
"The Moralez case," Amy said, too quickly, and she held up the folder, because she'd brought it into the bathroom with her as proof. Which, she now realized, was really, really weird. "Rosa, are you okay? Do you -- did your mother die? Or something?"
Rosa muttered something that might have been, "I wish." Amy chose to ignore it. "It's not a big deal," she said. "I broke up with Marcus. Kevin just really likes sending cards. I forgot to toss it."
Amy immediately thought that she'd never received a card from Kevin and then just crushed that impulse digression, frowning.
"We could go out?" she suggested. "Have... whiskey and complain about boys?"
Rosa laughed. "I'd like to see you drink whiskey," she said. "Fine. Thursday. Usual bar. If you bring a card, I'm leaving."
Amy was surprised, and Rosa knew it, which was probably why she smiled when she brushed by Amy out of the bathroom. Amy stood there a moment, awkwardly.
"Awwright!" Gina shouted from one of the stalls. She flushed and came out. "Girls' night!"
"Uhhh..." Amy said.
"Have you ever drank whiskey?" Gina asked. "You need my help."
Amy couldn't deny that.
*
Gina, as it turned out, never drank scotch either. She kissed Amy twice, once on the lips, and also the bartender and at least one person on the way to the bathroom.
"We're trying to cheer up Rosa!" Amy whispered loudly into Gina's ear, smelling her flowery shampoo underneath the alcohol burn.
"You are," Rosa said, watching.
*
When Amy woke up the next morning in her own bed, the curtains open and the sun shining daggers into her eyes, she was pretty sure that it was Rosa's fault. In the best of ways. Rosa must have gotten her home, because Amy didn't remember much after Gina started kissing her again with vigor, and once she remembered that, she didn't want to remember anything else. She moaned and threw the blanket up over her head, but it was still too bright.
She'd kissed girls before. Seriously. Gina might not have believed her when she said it, but Amy saw no reason to limit her future prospects to one side of the fence. She mostly dated men, because it was easier to find men, but she'd gone on a few dates with a cute female hairdresser last year. It hadn't worked out, but that wasn't because she didn't like women. She just never said anything about it at work because it was hard enough being a young, female Latina on the police force without adding bisexual to that label. And she'd never, ever hear the end of it from Jake.
Her sexuality was not a joke. But everything about her was a joke to Gina. Gina always made her feel small.
Amy went back to sleep. She woke up an hour later when her phone chirped.
(555) 805-1211 Gina Rosetti 4:03AM
great nite lets do it again
Amy didn't text her back. She took a very long shower instead.
*
"You didn't text me back!" Gina said, settling into Amy's chair like it was her own. She put her feet up on Amy's desk.
"I didn't either," Rosa pointed out from the other desk. Maybe Amy was imagining it, but Rosa looked a bit happier today. Amy almost felt recovered. Maybe, it had been worth it.
"You never answer your text messages," Gina said. "Amy always does."
"Not always!" Amy protested, but Gina put up a hand to cut her off.
"You. Me. Rosa. Sausage festival on 3rd. You in?" Gina asked.
Holt called Gina's name; he didn't seem pleased.
"I'll text you the deets," Gina promised, getting out of Amy's chair and taking her time to get to her own. Amy's eyes moved to follow the swing of Gina's hips.
"I don't like sausage," Rosa said.
"Me neither," Amy said. She'd once watched a documentary on how sausage was made. She hadn't liked it before, but now she had really good reasons.
"Let's go to that little Spanish cafe down 5th instead," Rosa said.
"I'm in," Amy squeaked.
*
Gina didn't try to kiss her again, but on their way back to the precinct, she asked Amy if she wanted to go for dinner, just the two of them.
"Really?" Amy asked.
"Uh, yeah. You're not repulsive, Amy, you just need to lighten up a little," Gina said. "I can help you with that." She winked.
"I need you to take me seriously," Amy said, glancing behind them; Rosa had stepped into a bodega for a coffee so at least she wasn't around to witness the conversation.
"Amy, you need someone who doesn't take you seriously," Gina said. "Lighten up a little! It's just dinner, I'm not proposing."
"Fine," Amy said. "I get to pick the restaurant."
"Hiss," Gina said, putting her hands up in claws, but she was still smiling, so Amy made reservations.
*
Amy had had way more disastrous dates. Was that sad? She had a good time, actually. The dinner at the little restaurant Boyle had recommended was amazing. Gina suggested a movie afterwards, and she got excited when Amy suggested going to the little arthouse theater down the block. Amy had always wanted to go, but not by herself, and Gina said she really admired the red velvet curtains. Amy caught her wiping away a tear during the saddest part of the black-and-white picture, though, and she was charmed. They went to a coffeehouse afterwards and debated reality television. Gina was alarmingly pro, and by the end of the night, Amy had slid her shoes halfway off and admitted to watching Survivor. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so much.
Gina was friendly the next day at work, but no more than usual. She winked at Amy once, when no one else was looking. Amy squeezed her thighs together.
They didn't go out again the next night. Amy had book club and Gina had dance rehearsal, and that was perfectly fine. After her club ended, Amy thought about it, and then she texted Gina good night.
Gina texted her back ten minutes later with a picture of her foot in her practice dance shoes.
(555) 805-1211 Gina Rosetti 9:11PM
dancin the nite away, xoxo
Amy saved the text message.
*
"I can't tonight," Rosa said. She didn't seem disappointed, but maybe trivia night just wasn't her thing. Amy had exactly two takers so far, and if she brought Hitchcock and Scully she might actually end up with negative points. Amy sighed.
"Everyone's busy! Even Gina, and she loves leaving the house for no reason," Amy said.
"Maybe she has something better to do," Rosa said, and she almost sounded guilty. Amy had to work harder on interpreting Rosa's moods, because that made no sense.
"Better than trivia?"
Jake couldn't help it; he burst out laughing, and he wouldn't quit until Charles asked him to help apprehend a suspect. Amy was definitely crossing him off the invite list.
She asked Charles after he got back, though, because she could use some assistance with the food category.
*
The next day Rosa came into work with a large swathe of white tape across her nose. Amy was definitely not staring, but Rosa was growling a little under her breath anyway.
"Don't ask," Rosa said.
Amy wasn't going to ask. But she ran into Gina in the breakroom over lunch and Gina told her the whole story without prompting. Rosa was part of a roller derby team and Gina had gone to her bout. Apparently roller rinks had gotten a lot more dangerous since Amy was a kid, but Rosa had scored at least twelve points. Gina was sparkling with amusement.
"Sounds fun," Amy said. She wondered why Rosa had told Gina about her hobby; normally Rosa refused to share any details of her personal life with coworkers.
Gina waved a hand. "You would have hated it. Hey, want to get dinner tomorrow?"
"Yes," Amy said, too quickly, and Gina grinned.
*
Amy and Gina went out on three more dates before Amy found herself in the middle of Gina's fluffy bed. Gina had enough pillows for ten people and zebra-print sheets. Amy didn't care. The crook of her neck smelled like strawberry shampoo.
Amy liked sex -- who didn't? But she had a hard time getting out of her brain and into the moment. Her partner always had to tell her to relax at some point. But being with Gina was different. Gina was pushy, but giving in return, and great at sharing instructions in that low, bright voice of hers. She didn't give Amy time to be self-conscious, and her hands were magical.
Afterwards, Gina sat on her stomach until she agreed to watch at least one episode of Say Yes to the Dress. Amy didn't protest too much. She was pretty tired at work the next day, but she drank so much coffee that her leg started to vibrate a little.
Gina texted her a lot of emoticons and Amy texted her back on her breaks. She drew a little heart in the corner of one of her reports and had to find her white-out. She brushed it on carefully and inhaled the sharp smell, pretending that was the reason that she felt so light-headed.
She was way too old to be feeling like this, but she didn't want to stop either.
"What are you so happy about?" Jake asked.
"I, uh, knitting group tonight!" she said. She wasn't ready to tell anyone in the office about her and Gina, not yet.
"Me too!" Terry said, passing by her desk and giving her a high five. "I'm making booties!"
"Knitting isn't any fun, you aren't allowed to stab anything but yarn," Jake said, already bored with the conversation.
"It's really relaxing, actually," Terry said. "You should try it sometime."
"Maybe never," Jake said, flipping a pencil up off his desk and into the ceiling.
Sometimes, Amy really wondered what she'd ever seen in him.
*
Eventually Amy and Gina settled into a routine. They went out once a week and stayed in together at least one weekend afternoon. Amy left a toothbrush in Gina's apartment, and Gina bedazzled it with her name. Gina even agreed to visit Amy's place once in a while, as long as she was allowed to bring her own pillows. She often brought along knickknacks or glitter to brighten up the place. Amy liked them, even though they didn't fit with her decor, because they reminded her of Gina.
It was pretty much perfect until the day that Gina pulled her and Rosa into the evidence locker and said, "Okay, so on the advice of my life coach, I'm trying to simplify my life and consolidate my relationships, and I thought it would be much, much easier if you both dated me together. Does that work for everyone?"
"What," Amy said, staring at Rosa to see if she'd had any idea this was going on.
Rosa's return gaze was openly hostile, so she guessed not.
"What is wrong with you, Gina?" Rosa asked.
"Hey, hey, chill your grills, ladies. You have a lot in common and if you've never thought about having a all-girl threesome, you're lying." Gina lifted her eyebrows, offering a hand to each of them. "I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't think it would be great."
"What the hell," Rosa and Amy said at the same time. Amy could feel her lips trembling and it made her even more upset. She didn't want to start crying at work. Why had Gina chosen right now to tell her that she'd been secretly dating Rosa too? She wondered if Rosa had been a better girlfriend. Maybe she just expected Amy to break up with her in shame. Some detective she was -- she'd had absolutely no idea.
"This is not cool," Rosa said, voice level, and she turned and left, slamming the door behind her.
"Yeah!" Amy said, for lack of anything better. She wanted to walk off in the opposite direction but there was only one door, so instead she followed Rosa out and detoured into the ladies room for a minute. She sat on the toilet and practiced deep breathing, trying not to think about all the high school lunch periods she'd spent in the same way. She'd thought she was beyond that life now. She'd thought she had it figured out.
"Don't tell me you've never thought about it," Gina's words echoed in her memory.
And she had, she had, but --
That didn't make it right. Right?
*
Amy was never sure if Captain Holt was a mastermind, or if he just refused to consider interpersonal problems in his precinct. She knew he was brilliant, but if he had any flaw, it would be understanding people's interactions. He used to pair her and Jake up all the time last year when they were working through their weird attraction to each other, seeming like he didn't care about their rivalry or their feelings.
And now he'd sent her out on a stakeout with Rosa, despite the fact that Rosa hadn't spoken to her at all for two weeks. She forced Charles to deliver any necessary communications between them, and Amy was already getting tired of Boyle scurrying over to tell her that Rosa was going on lunch and wanted her to take her phone messages.
The silence in the car was oppressive. Amy was feeling frustrated herself. It certainly wasn't her fault that Gina had been going behind both their backs, and she was just as upset with the idea. Plus, Rosa was even more attractive and terrifying when she was angry. She shifted in her seat and crossed her arms over her leather jacket. Amy had tried a few conversational sallies, but they'd been met with rude grunts at best, and just an eyebrow at worst.
"Look," Amy said. "We can't keep this up. I'm not mad at you."
Rosa rolled her eyes. She leaned forward and peered out the windshield.
"If -- in different circumstances," Amy tried again.
"Just spit it out," Rosa growled, and Amy leaned over the shifter and kissed her. It was not a good kiss; Amy's face was sweaty and she could feel her own hand too hot on Rosa's thigh.
Rosa kissed her back. Amy didn't realize at first, because Rosa was slow to respond, but when Amy tried to pull away, Rosa growled a little and bit Amy's lip. A rush of desire flooded Amy until Rosa pushed her away.
"Is this how you want to get back at her?" Rosa asked, scowling. Amy couldn't take her eyes off Rosa's lips.
"No," Amy said. "No, I just... This is crazy. It's crazy, right? I shouldn't have done that."
Rosa shrugged.
"Probably not," Rosa said. "Someone just came out of the warehouse, is that him?"
Amy craned her neck forward and then shook her head.
"Let's try again," Rosa said, with one of the little private smiles she rarely shared, and it was a better kiss that time for sure.
"This is crazy," Amy repeated when they separated for air.
"You're right," Rosa said. "Holt would have our hides if he knew we weren't watching the building. Boyle and Peralta should be here in an hour. Think you can keep your hands to yourself until then?"
A little, "Oh!" escaped Amy before she could prevent it. She wiped her mouth and then nodded, settling back into her seat and occasionally sneaking glances at Rosa, like she wasn't sure that this had really happened.
"Gina is going to be so smug," Rosa said, irritably.
*
Gina didn't even have the grace to look surprised when Rosa and Amy showed up on her doorstep. She grinned at them both and clapped her hands.
"Ooh, I get to have my cake and eat it too!" she said cheerfully.
"I'm not the cake," Rosa said sourly.
"Hey!" Amy said, and Rosa nudged her in an almost friendly way. Then she reached down and deliberately cupped Amy's ass in one hand.
Amy blushed. Gina's smile grew brighter somehow. She reached out and grabbed Amy's hip, pulling her into the apartment. Rosa followed behind.
"I want to talk about this. Properly," Amy said. They had to do it now, before they started kissing, or they'd never talk about it.
"What does that even mean?" Gina asked, sighing.
"I mean--" Amy broke free of their grasps and turned to face them -- "I don't want this to be just sex. What about you?"
She looked from Rosa to Gina. Gina spoke first. "Hey, that's exactly what I want. Simplify, consolidate, etcetera etcetera. I like you guys. I have been putting in effort."
Rosa was silent. Gina and Amy looked at her.
"I'm not good at letting people in," Rosa said. "...But you've wormed your way into my life. Both of you."
"Not a metaphor I like," Gina said lightly, but she leaned forward and kissed Rosa, slowly but with an intensity that Amy could only watch. She placed a hand on Rosa's face and stroked her cheek. Although Amy had been on the receiving end of that kiss before, she'd never seen it from the outside. She immediately wanted to be in the middle of it. She'd wanted to talk more -- but that could be done afterwards, lying in Gina's comfortable bed.
"You just going to watch?" Rosa said, voice husky, when Gina broke the kiss, and Amy reached out for them both.
*
They kept their secret for exactly three months and then it all came out, after a sequence of events that included a Halloween mask, two arrests, and one dangerous bet. Gina loved the attention, Holt gave them his blankest look, and Jake alternated between grinning and being disappointed.
After a while, the precinct quieted down again, and no one blinked an eye when the three of them showed up together to Raymond and Kevin's vow renewal. (Marcus was there, and he and Rosa exchanged a friendly nod. His date was short and dark-haired and she seemed very nice, but Rosa wasn't going to be that polite.) Gina danced and Amy drank until she felt like she could dance, and the two of them dragged Rosa onto the floor.
"I am not doing the chicken dance," Rosa said, through clenched teeth, but her look was soft, and when one of Kevin's nephews tried to cut in, later, she told him to go away. They swayed together, looking like the smallest football huddle, but Amy didn't care what they looked like. She was a little tipsy, and very happy, with a hand tucked around Rosa's bicep and Gina's hand warm on the small of her back.
"Worth it," Amy said, to herself, and Elvis Presley sang on through the speakers.