Title: The Disconnect
Summary: It had been a long day, a bad day. Prison never happened. Red/Gloria.
Disclaimer: I do not own OITNB or any of its characters. They belong to Jenji Kohen, I do, however, own my writing so please don't steal- Johanna002©
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A/N: It's been a while since I've had the time to write. There's not a point to this story, but I'm concluding another term of Nursing School and just wanted to try my hand and flex the old muscle. I hope you enjoy!
-01-
"Don't forget to sweep and sanitize," Galina told her ex-husband, and she untied the apron from around her waist. "I already counted out the deposit, and prepared tomorrow's food."
"About tomorrow," Dmitri told her slowly as he tied up the bags of trash that needed to be taken out to the alley, "I'm not going to be here."
Blue eyes narrowed at him. "Why the hell not?"
"Today's been a long day," he explained. "I have a headache and my feet hurt. I need some time to recover."
"You're joking," Galina conceded dismissively. "This is the first time I've seen you in weeks. You can't just show up here, work when you want to work and fall off the face of the earth and expect for this store to see a profit."
"You're here running things," he told her logically. "Why do I need to be here?"
"Because I was never supposed to be running it all myself," she exclaimed in frustration. "We opened this store as a unit. It was one thing when we were married, but we're divorced now, Dmitri and I'm not going to be carrying your weight and paying you for a job you haven't done."
"It's my name on the store," he argued with her. "My name is on the deed."
"Our name is on the deed," she hissed through her teeth. "It took both of us to get approved for that loan, Dmitri. Other than signing that paper, you've done nothing to contribute to this business."
"I don't know what you expect from me," he told her dismissively.
Galina glared at him in fury. She had half a mind to knock his head off his shoulders. He'd been a pain in her ass since he'd come in, questioning everything that she did, insulting the way she'd organized the store, and the way she went about setting up her displays.
She hated working with him, and much preferred to run the store herself, or with Lida. Today her daughter-in-law had stayed home to care for her grandson, and Dmitri had come by unexpectedly to collect his check. Instead of handing it to him, she'd kept it hostage telling him instead that she wouldn't pay him unless he put in eight hours of work to make up for the two weeks that he'd been AWOL.
That had been a stupid idea. Instead of being any help to her, he'd only drained her of every sense of restraint and authority that she'd had. While she didn't exactly want to make it a habit to work long hours alongside him, she definitely expected him to come around and pull his weight, even if that meant working after hours to restock shelves and clean.
"I just don't know who you think you are to control me," Dmitri said. "You aren't my wife."
"Thank god for that," Galina agreed. She pushed a frustrated hand through her hair. Going into business with him had to be the most idiotic idea she'd ever had, even more then marrying him.
"You know," she said finally, "You could always sign your portion over to me. Then you'd be free to get a real job, with a boss who doesn't care about your feelings, your migraines, or your backaches."
Dmitri said nothing, his eyes narrowing at her in disdain.
"That's what I thought," Galina hummed to herself as she grabbed her purse. A delicious sense of control coiled tightly in her belly. "Don't forget to set the alarm when you leave," she reminded him, making her exit from the store.
The journey home did little to curb her frustration. She hated how insane Dmitri was able to make her, how after all these years she continuously allowed herself to be set off by him. Walking through the front door, she couldn't help but allow it to slam shut behind her. She toed out of her shoes and stuffed them away in the cubby where she kept them. Her feet were damp with sweat, from the long hours she'd been standing and moving around, and she peeled them off quickly.
Walking into the kitchen, she opened the door to the laundry room and tossed her socks into the washer. She made a mental note to wash her aprons and catch up on laundry tomorrow. Tonight, all she wanted to do was eat dinner and relax in front of the television.
She hoped Gloria was in a much better mood then she was. The last few days she'd been on edge too, and it'd been like navigating a minefield as to not set her off. She huffed a breath of frustration, choosing instead to push all thoughts out of her mind and set about making dinner.
There were dishes from breakfast that needed to be done, but she decided she could quickly do those after rinsing off the chicken. When she opened the fridge, she felt her frustration catapult into full blown furry.
"God damn it, Gloria," She said through clenched teeth as she closed the fridge and opened the freezer. The meat her partner was supposed to have pulled out was still there, solid as a brick. "Do I have to do everything for these fucking people?" She slammed the freezer door shut and shook her hands as if she were ridding herself of the problem entirely.
Not even ten minutes later, Gloria arrived home, the front door slamming shut behind her. Clearly, she'd had a shitty day at work, too. The sound of Gloria's heeled boots echoed along the wood floors, and Galina clenched her jaw at the sound and braced herself against the sink as she watched it fill with warm water and bubbles.
Gloria exhaled a breath as she deposited an arm full of work material on the table. She had two binders, her purse, and her lunch box, along with her ginormous water-bottle, that Galina always told her was impractical.
"Hey, Galina—"
"No!" Galina hissed angrily, cutting her off as she spun around from where she was stationed at the kitchen sink. "Get all of that crap off my table, now."
"Chill out," Gloria dismissed her, rolling her eyes. She walked the few steps over to the fridge to put her water bottle inside so that it could chill the rest of what she was intending to drink for the night.
"I hate when you do this," Galina shook her head. "You come home and just want to leave all you crap on the table, making it impossible for me to cook dinner."
"I haven't left anything, I'm standing right here," Gloria said, her voice thick with frustration. "I just walked through the damn door." She reached for her lunch box and angrily began to unpack her Tupperware. "Most people say, 'hi honey, how was your day?' They don't just start bitching at you, as soon as you walk in."
"Most people remember to pull the meat out of the freezer like they're asked," Galina challenged back. "Now I have to scramble for something else to cook tonight, because you couldn't remember to do one simple little task."
"Jesus Christ," Gloria rolled her eyes. "Is that what you're mad about?"
"It's frustrating, Gloria. I don't know how many times I have to ask you," Galina turned to look at her over her shoulder. "It's like you do it to deliberately piss me off. I think you get real enjoyment out of trying to make me crazy."
"Nothing about me is enjoying your attitude tonight," Gloria told her as she reached down to unzip her heeled boots. "If I would have known you'd be in such a bad mood, I wouldn't have even bothered to come home."
At this, Galina's blue eyes blazed. "Are you saying you hate being with me?"
"Tonight, I sure do," Gloria said under her breath. She picked up her shoes and her two binders, walking out of the kitchen to stow them away in their rightful place.
"Well, I'm sorry you find me so god-damn miserable to be around."
"Oh, shut up!" Gloria told her with a sense of finality. "You wouldn't want to be here either if I greeted you with an attitude like that as soon as you walked through the door."
"You're full of shit, you've been a pain in my ass all week."
"Oh, honey," Gloria moved around the kitchen table to look at her. "You haven't seen anything yet, because I'm this close," she pinched her fingers together, "to losing my shit. I haven't even been home five minutes and already we're arguing? You're mad because I left meat in the freezer?"
"You do it all the time, Gloria!"
"It's Friday, it's been a long week," Gloria tried to reason with her. "Is this how you want to spend tonight?" she asked her. "Arguing over stupid shit? God, forbid you have to eat take-out once in your life. It won't kill you, Galina."
Galina's hands moved beneath the dish water at a frantic pace as she scrubbed at the silverware in her hand. Rationally, she knew there was no logical reason to be arguing, but she'd felt her temper snap within her, and now she had to stand her ground and continue this pointless fight.
"You wanna argue with someone? Call Dmitri. I'm not trying to hear it tonight."
It was Gloria's words, in cumulation with her own anger and sense of distraction that propelled the string of profanity from her lips. "God damn it! Son-of-a bitch! Motherfucker!" Galina instantly dropped the silverware her hand had been around and pulled it out of the water.
She turned the tap cool and watched as it flowed over her hand to wash the crimson color from her palm. The gash was impressive, a clear indication that she'd squeezed her hand around the blade.
"What the fuck, Galina!" Gloria exclaimed as she watched the blood drain down the sink. "What the fuck did you do, now?"
"What the hell does it look like, Gloria?" Galina bit her lip to keep herself from wincing at the pain. She watched Gloria's back as she retreated from the room and she grimaced at the discomfort in her hand as she attempted to ball it into a fist. More blood pooled from her hand, and she shook her head in anger, relaxing her hand once more into an open position.
Gloria returned a few moments later with the first aid kit from the bathroom. "See," she didn't hesitate to bait her as she ensured the blood was clean from Galina's hand. "This is what happens when you want to pick a fight instead of paying attention." She inspected the cut closely. "I don't think you'll need stitches."
Gloria shook her head in frustration but easily set about rendering aid. She applied antibiotic ointment, and then covered the cut with sterile gauze and a large wrap around bandage. As she worked, silence settled between them and the tension slowly started to ebb away.
After a few moments, she pulled away from Galina to get her some anti-inflammatory medication and some water. Wordlessly she dropped the pills into her unaffected hand, and then passed her the water. Satisfied that Galina had actually taken the medication, Gloria screwed the lid back onto the bottle and stowed it away in the fridge.
"I'm gonna order a pizza," Gloria told her finally. Her tone was softer than it had been a few minutes ago when they were arguing, but there was a tilt to it that almost seemed to beg Galina to surrender and call a truce.
Cradling her injured hand to her chest, the message received, Galina pursed her lips and nodded her head in agreement. She watched Gloria leave again this time with her cell phone to her ear as she ordered a medium peperoni pizza, extra jalapenos on half.
…
Galina sighed in frustration, tucking her arm beneath her head. She could hear the television playing low in the living room, the glow of the screen beaming off the wall. Her eyes flicked to the digital clock on the dresser. It was nearing midnight, and Gloria had yet to come to bed nor had she bothered to check on her since getting out of the shower.
She brought her bandaged hand up to her face, turning it slightly to catch in the moonlight. The edges of the wrap were stained with blood, and her entire hand felt sore. She didn't know what she was going to do about work now, no way could she handle food with an open wound.
She debated texting Lida and asking her to cover, but another glance at the clock had her dismissing the idea just as quickly as it had entered her head. She knew the young mother had pulled enough extra hours this week on account of Dmitri's absence. She deserved some time to sleep in. One of the boys would just have to pick up the slack.
She reached over for her cell phone, sending Maxsim a text message. Even if he was asleep now, she knew he'd wake up in plenty of time to read her message. He'd always been an earlier riser, waking up at 5 am so that he could go to the gym, or run. Thinking about it made her chuckle, and she typed out another message, apologizing in advanced that he'd miss his workout.
She knew he'd make a dig about the responsibility falling to him instead of the Yuri or Vasily. Tease her not so subtly that this was the cross he bore as the middle child. How she never thought about him, until she did.
The was a knock at the door, and she lifted her eyes to see Gloria leaning against it. Her hair was damp, curling slightly around her face. She was dressed in a long black t-shirt and red and black checker pajama pants.
Closing her phone and setting it back on her nightstand, Galina folded her hands lightly over her abdomen, waiting for the younger woman to explain her sudden presence.
"I brought you some ibuprofen and water," Gloria told her softly, walking into the bedroom. "I figured your hand is probably hurting by now." She held out her hand to drop two pills into Galina's. Unscrewing the lid of the water bottle, she only passed it when Galina popped the medication into her mouth.
"Thank you," Galina settled back into the pillows, her eyes lifting to look into Gloria's brown ones. She arched her brow at her slightly—expectantly—and she could see Gloria's shoulders square under her gaze, as if she were preparing for something painful.
A few seconds passed, and then a minute. The silence was deafening as they silently challenged the other to apologize first. It was if the mechanical wheel in Gloria's head could be heard squeaking as it cranked with every turn.
"I'm sorry," she said finally, her shoulder's dropping. She twisted the cool bottle in her hand and exhaled an exhausted breath. It was like a weight had been taken off her shoulders. "I don't want to argue with you, Galina."
"I don't want to argue with you either and I'm sorry, too," Galina whispered. Shifting over in bed, she patted the spot next to her and watched as Gloria perched herself on the edge. "Dmitri and I got into an argument, and then I came home and the meat in the freezer was just the last straw," she waved her hand in dismissal. "But I shouldn't have started yelling at you like that."
"What did you argue about?"
Galina shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she whispered. "It's not important, and I don't want my issues with him causing issues in our home. I shouldn't have let myself get so worked up."
With her unaffected hand, Galina reached across Gloria's lap and intertwined their fingers together. "What about you?" she asked. "I could tell you were in a bad mood before you'd even walked all the way in. What happened?
Gloria gave her a small smile, squeezing her hand gently. "You know how there was talk of a promotion at work? They were going to send me to cross train at another location, so that I could take over as the general manager?"
"Right," Galina nodded her head. "They were also wanting to send you out for a conference."
"Yeah," Gloria frowned, and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth in disappointment. "Well, they called me on Monday to rescind their offer."
"What?" Galina moved to push herself up even further. "Oh, Gloria, I'm so sorry."
"Then they called today to rub salt in the wound. They want me to train the woman they're giving the job to." She ran an irritated hand through her hair. "It's why I I've been difficult the last few days, I guess. I was trying to get my mind around it before I told you, and then tonight…"
"Tonight, I started yelling at you about the chicken," Galina finished with a shameful smile.
Gloria nodded, a small, sad smirk on her lips. "You started yelling at me about the chicken," she confirmed. She inhaled a deep breath before exhaling it sadly. Whether you were a sixteen-year-old who didn't make the dance team, or a fifty-year-old who was bypassed a promotion, disappointment never got any easier.
They sat there for a few moments, just holding hands, Gloria's thumb stroking over the back of Galina's soft skin.
"I'm sorry that the promotion fell through," Galina apologized softly. "I know you were looking forward to making the next move."
"It just sucks," Gloria sulked. "Now I have to train this woman on Monday and pretend that I don't hate her… she didn't even do anything to me personally. She doesn't even know I exist. it's just the principle."
"I know," Galina shook her head, her lips pulling up in amusement. Like a petulant teenager, Gloria was all sass, and could be a downright pain in the ass. "There will be other promotions in your company. Maybe this just isn't your timing, you know? It'll happen when it's supposed to happen."
At that, Gloria snickered. "Since when do you believe in timing and optimism?" she asked. Moving onto her knees, she started to crawl over Galina's form to her side of the bed. Hoovering over her, she leaned down to kiss her softly.
"Mmm," Galina purred, lifting her chin to kiss her once more. "This would be a sad union if we both always saw the glass as half-empty." She watched as Gloria settled down in her spot, and then turned so that she could curl up against her. "It's why we work so well. We balance one another out, picking up what the other has dropped."
Gloria smiled against the full head of red hair. "And to think, all this time I thought it was the sex."
"Well, that definitely doesn't hurt us," Galina laughed, listening to the steady cadence of Gloria's heart as it beat rhythmically in her chest. She could feel Gloria's hand start to stroke lazily through her hair, and she felt her eyes start to grow heavy with exhaustion.
"What are you going to do about work and your hand?" Gloria asked sleepily.
"I'll have Maxsim work tomorrow, after that call in Nicky, I guess," she yawned.
Gloria smiled. "They're both gonna hate you for that."
"They'll live," Galina told her, repeating her infamous words from earlier. She could feel Gloria's laugh vibrate against her. The hand in her hair drifted down to stroke her back, and she allowed herself to be lulled into the cusp of sleep. She heard Gloria whisper I love you, and she didn't hesitate to say, "I love you, too," before drifting off to sleep.