"Glimmer?"
"What?" Glimmer snapped, grabbing a random shirt and slamming her pajama drawer shut. Of course, the nightgown she wanted was in Bow's room! But after how shitty things had been between them all day, she was NOT going to go in there and ask for it back.
"Wow. Nevermind." Adora. Pretty much the only person who wasn't on her shit list right now. "I was just coming to talk, but if you're going to snap at me too—"
"No, Adora, wait." Glimmer spun, catching Adora before she made it to the hallway. "I'm sorry it's just— ARGH! Everything right now. But stay, please? I've missed you! It feels like we haven't gotten to hang out in forever."
"Yeah, well, that's because we've got to run a kingdom all day and then every night you're with Bow." Adora gave her a look that Glimmer ignored, ducking behind the screen to change into her nightclothes. "Speaking of, I'm surprised you're even here this late."
"I'm not going over there tonight." Glimmer took a calming breath. "I missed sleeping in my bed."
Adora made a small hum that somehow managed to be suspicious and amused at the same time. Glimmer groaned inwardly and tugged on her sleep shirt.
"Look, we weren't doing anything! We were just sleeping!"
"I never said you weren't!" Adora clarified quickly, which was understandable, given how Glimmer'd almost shoved Mermista's laser sword up her ass earlier for implying otherwise. Not that it had helped. The pirate captain had been the worst of everyone, like the fact that Glimmer'd crushed on her for a minute gave her license to give her endless shit about her feelings about Bow. "But even if you were, what does it matter? It's not like it was in the Horde. Fraternizing isn't forbidden out here. Besides, you and Bow, you guys adore each other. Even his mom knew it."
She did? Glimmer had always been so intimidated by Queen Angella it had never really occurred the woman might have any opinions about her and her son. It was probably better she'd never realized the queen had figured out how she felt. She'd never have been able to look her in the eye again.
"Look." Adora had plopped down on something, probably her bed from the sound of it. "I get it was embarrassing. And Mermista was completely out of line today with the teasing. But the others… well, they were just surprised. Nobody's mad about it or anything. And, honestly, it's not like it was really a surprise. I'm pretty sure the entire staff knew you were in there every night."
"ARGH!" Glimmer groaned again, balling up her towel and tossing it into the laundry bin. "How? We were so careful! He'd come to get me at night, teleport me back as soon as I'd get up—"
"But why? Why bother with all of that sneaking around? You could have announced it to everyone and walked through his bedroom door every night and no one would have given even a single shit. I don't understand why you're so weird about this! No one cares!"
"I care!" Glimmer grabbed her hairbrush, attacking her wet hair. It was getting just long enough to be annoying. She should chop it all off again. "You're as bad as Bow!"
"I don't know, Glimmer. I think maybe you're the one who's making a big deal out of nothing."
She rounded on Adora, pointing with her hairbrush. "Obviously you're not going to understand! You're She-Ra!"
"What does that have to do with it?"
"Everything! You're magic and so is everyone else around here! Everyone except me."
"So what? You're still essential to the rebellion, an amazing fighter, and we'd have been completely hosed if you hadn't stepped up after we lost Entrapta. You've worked as hard as anyone else here, maybe harder."
"Exactly! And you know I've worked to get here, that I'm an important member of the team but outside of our friends? I'm no one, Adora. Just some girl who hangs around the people with actual power. Everywhere we go, people already think I don't belong here—"
"Who said—"
"I don't need to hear anyone say it! I know they're thinking it! They have to be. And now it's only going to get worse. What else are they going to think with Mermista out there telling everyone we're sleeping together? It undermines everything I've worked for! Now I'm not Master Archer and Tech Master, I'm that girl they only keep around because she's the prince's girlfriend."
"Wait! So you ARE you two finally actually together? Because I have been waiting—"
"No. We're just friend same as always. It's not like that with us."
Adora raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because in the portal—"
"Ughhhh, we are NOT talking about that!" Glimmer threw down her brush and flopped down onto the bed next to Adora
"OK, fine. Forget the portal. Are you forgetting that the man was practically ready to propose after Princess Prom, but you were the one who stopped him?"
"Can we please not do this?" Like she didn't already replay that moment in her head every night and second guess herself every single time? "Can you stay focused on the fact that Bow's going to be King in a few days? And now people are going to think I'm trying to get my hands in his power or status or who knows what else when those are the last things I have ever wanted from Bow!"
"Glimmer, no one's going to think that." Adora lay down next to her. "You two clearly adore each other."
Glimmer groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Don't tell me that!"
"It's true, though! You think he doesn't talk about you all the time? Bow loves you!"
"Yeah? And so what if he does? All that does is make it extra fucking sad when he has to marry some other prince or sorcerer or whatever. Be realistic, Adora! What would that even change? I'm still nobody!"
Adora was quiet for a long time. Then she turned onto her side so they were facing each other, her voice soft. "Maybe you're right. Maybe that is what happens. I still don't really get this world outside the Fright Zone. But I know you two really fucking well at this point and watching you dance around each other like this is…" Her voice caught, and she chewed at her lip. "I never told you what happened in the portal."
"You said Queen Angella—"
"No. Before that. Before I came to find you guys here, I was back in the Fright Zone. I was still with the Horde, still a force captain. My memories of you and Bow were gone, like we'd never even met."
"So it was like it was before you found the sword?"
"No. More like some kind of alternate reality where there was no sword. Like what would have happened if I'd never left. Except I was with Catra."
Glimmer laughed. "So I guess yours was less like a dream reality and more like a nightmare!"
It was the wrong thing to say. Adora rolled back onto her back, blinking furiously. "We were together. Catra and I. Like… dating, as you'd call it out here. Apparently, had been for a while."
"Oh." Glimmer watched her friend hold back tears and tried to process what she was hearing. Adora and… Catra? She'd known Catra had meant a lot to her, that she'd missed her old friend when she left the Horde, but dating? "What was that like?"
"It was nice, actually. We were happy. In love, you know? And it made me realize just… a whole bunch of stuff. Stuff that if I'd realized earlier we could have… I don't know." Adora sniffed and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "But now everything's so wrecked between us and Catra's so far gone, it seems impossible we could ever even be friends again let alone… you know."
"I'm sorry," Glimmer said, still processing the idea that Adora was in love with Catra, an idea that was utterly insane and also made a lot of sense at the same time. Glimmer rolled onto her side, taking her friend's hand. "I really am."
"It's just… Catra and I, look at us. We missed our chance. Or look at Bow's parents, Micah and Angella who thought they had forever together but instead lost each other and now they're both gone." Adora sniffed and squeezed Glimmer's hand, turning her head to look at her. "I just think you've made up so many excuses for why this thing you want can't happen, you're missing the fact that it's already happening and you're screwing it up."
"Glimmer."
Glimmer screamed and flung herself backwards so fast she flew off the end of her bed and found herself tangled in the curtain.
"Sorry! It's just me! I'm so so sorry."
"What the fuck, Bow?" Godsdamn it, she was going to kill him. She flailed her arms, trying to get free of the thick material. "This better be for a fucking really good—"
She stopped as soon as she got herself free and saw Bow's face. He looked awful. Like he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep this week, either. She exhaled, guilt worming into her chest. It was easier to tell herself he didn't need really her when she was avoiding him. That he was sleeping just fine while she was in here tossing and turning, worrying herself sick about whether he was taking care of himself or working too hard or what would happen if he had a nightmare and she wasn't there to comfort him. But when he was right in front of her like this, how could she feel like anything but a selfish jerk for not being there when he needed her?
"What's wrong?" She climbed back onto the bed, wanting to reach for him but not even sure if he'd want that after what an ass she'd been this week.
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong, I just… I'm sorry. I know you want a… break from dealing with me, but…" He took a ragged breath and started pacing her room.
Well, fuck. That hurt. "Bow, that's not—"
"It's fine." He held up a hand and shook his head. "It's only… today is really important, and I thought I could do it, but I can't. Not alone. I need you. OK?"
"OK…" She sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to remember what today was. The unfortunate part of trying to avoid Bow for the last week was that she didn't actually know his schedule like she usually did. "And what is today?"
"It's my first time meeting with the elder council. Now." He was really freaking out, his hands shaking as he gestured frantically. "Just me and the most intimidating and powerful people on the planet. No alliance, no Juliet, no one allowed but the ruler of Bright Moon and I've never done this before, not even with my mom." He turned to look at her and, after a week of trying to avoid eye contact, the full brunt of his gaze was overwhelming. She wanted so badly to wrap her arms around him, but she had to be strong or they'd be right back where they left off. "I should have told you sooner, but they just sprung it on me yesterday and I was trying to give you space and… Glimmer, I know I'm being needy and a mess, but I can't do this without you."
"Alright. What do you need me to do?" She gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile, even though her brain was still mostly half asleep. "Whatever it is, I'll do it."
Bow was so relieved he looked ready to cry. He gave her a single adoring look and then yanked open her wardrobe, rummaging through her clothes. "I need you to come with me."
"What? You just said it was only for the royal council."
"It is. The King's adviser is part of the royal council. Can you wear—" He held out a dress but then hesitated when he noticed the huge tear she'd been meaning to fix. "Hm. Never mind."
She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "I don't understand."
"Here." Bow stopped his rummaging through her clothes to fish something out of his jacket pocket. He dropped a slightly crushed paper into her lap before returning to attack her wardrobe. She unfolded it to reveal a very official-looking document. "I know I should have asked you first but you're always so worried about how things look and then you weren't talking to me and I didn't know how to bring it up and the meeting is today so if I didn't do it you wouldn't have been able to come! And I need you there, Glimmer."
Glimmer read and reread the paper in her hands. "You appointed me your freaking royal adviser? Me?"
"Yes."
"You know I don't know one fucking thing about running a kingdom, right?"
"You know as much as I do!" He'd stopped rummaging but wasn't looking at her, which was a pretty sure sign he knew he was in trouble. He leaned his hand against the edge of the wardrobe and took a deep breath. "They said… it's supposed to be the person you trust the most, who you'd trust with your life and that's YOU, alright? There's no one else it could be. And I know I screwed things up with us last week and you want space and maybe it's selfish to even ask but I'm falling apart and you were the only thing keeping me…" His voice broke and he leaned against the wardrobe, trying to compose himself. "Please?"
Glimmer looked from her best friend, rapidly unraveling in front of her, to the paper in her hands. She did NOT want to go to this meeting. The council was a bunch of scary old representatives from across the regions and a handful of sorcerers, most of which were loud with opinions that should have died out a century again. She was going to sound like an idiot trying to talk in front of all of them! But no matter what had happened between them the last few days, Bow was the most important person in her entire world, and she couldn't stand to see him upset like this. If what he needed was for her to pretend to be some stupid adviser so he didn't have to face this meeting alone, then that's what she'd do. She'd do anything for him.
She rose and went over to him, resting her hand on his back. "I'll go."
Bow let out a relieved sob and gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you."
She reached over and brushed a tear off his face. They should hug. It was the sort of moment they would normally have hugged, even before the lines got blurred and everything got complicated. But they both stood there awkwardly for a moment before she finally lowered her hand.
For a moment, he looked like he was going to burst back into tears, but he just gave her a quick nod. "We need to go soon. Even with teleporting there, we don't have a lot of time."
"Just give me a minute to wash up." She headed towards the bathroom, everything feeling wrong and unsettled. But it was for the best! They could do this, get things back to normal between them. It just might… take a while.
"I'm trying to find something for you to wear. You can't just walk in there in your usual armor, they'll flip. It needs to be formal, but also—" He gasped. She was in the middle of brushing her teeth but quickly finished and rushed back into the bedroom, finding Bow frozen next to her wardrobe, holding something.
"What's—" she began, but froze as she got closer and realized with horror that he was holding the sweater she'd worn in the portal.
He held it in front of him in confusion. "It's… real?"
Glimmer opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She'd never actually worn that sweater. Not in real life, anyway. So if he recognized it...
"I thought… " He was staring at the sweater like it couldn't possibly be real.
She'd known that everyone else had remembered the portal, that their stories all synced. But in all the chaos afterward, with Angella and everything, she'd sort of hoped Bow hadn't. That they could pretend that whole thing had never happened, a hope that was utterly dashed by the look on his face right now.
Bow ran his fingers over the fuzz as if remembering. Then he recoiled as if he'd had the same thought she'd had: that the last time he'd touched that particular spot was to grab her boob.
"Give me that!" She snatched the sweater out of his hand and hung it in the very back of the closet. She quickly grabbed something else, a flared romper that should work just fine and ducking behind her changing screen before he could see how red her face was.
"Are we ever going to talk about that?"
"Nope!" Her hands were shaking as she tried to undo the fasteners.
"Glimmer…"
"It wasn't real, Bow!"
"The sweater is."
"What the fuck does that have to do with anything?"
"Because the world in the portal wasn't real, but it was made of things that were. You and I… we were real. The stuff between us was real."
She couldn't deal with this. Not now. Because if he was saying he'd meant all those things he'd said in the portal like she'd meant everything she'd said to him… well, what did it change? He was still nearly the king, so important he could sign a paper and give her a royal title just so he didn't have to sit alone at a meeting. And she was still the powerless girl who'd look like she'd rode his coattails to the top.
Except now it just hurt more because she knew Adora was right. The only thing stopping them from being together was her. What if Adora was right about the other thing, too? About her being the only one worried about how it looked if they—
"Wait a minute. What about your dad? Why was he in the portal? You're trying to say King Micah's really alive somewhere?"
"I don't know why my dad was there. I really don't." There was a soft thud as he shut the wardrobe door.
"So it wasn't all real." Glimmer felt a kind of relief. Because that was the proof, wasn't it? King Micah was dead and yet he'd been in the portal so at least some of it had to be illusion. She'd finished dressing and came out from the screen to find him standing closer than she expected, his look intense.
"Maybe not." He shrugged. "But we were happy. You and I… it was really good. Shouldn't that count for something?"
He said it like it was so simple. Like she could just cross the distance between them right now and tell him everything she'd said in the portal was true and they could live happily ever after.
Exactly what she'd always wanted right there. All she had to do was go take it.
She swallowed and tried to sound casual. "We're going to be late for your stupid meeting."
"Yeah, we better go." He reached for her hand to teleport them and then hesitated. "Um, do you mind if I…"
"Sure." She took his hand. "Actually, wait."
She stepped closer, wrapping her arm around his. He looked from her hand to her face, questioning.
"I'm sorry about this week. I shouldn't have abandoned my best friend, especially not this close to your coronation. If you need me, I'll be there."
"Does that mean—"
"Yeah. Sleepovers too." She was probably going to regret this, but being away from him had been horrible, like she couldn't remember how to sleep without him next to her. "At least until you're King."
"Thank you." The tension immediately melted from his shoulders, and Bow sniffed, fighting tears. "I love you."
He didn't mean it THAT way— they'd said it to each other all the time since they were kids— but it still made her feel warm all over. She snuggled closer, leaning into his side, feeling like she could breathe properly for the first time in days. This couldn't last forever. He was still going to be King in a few days.
But, until then, she could pretend a little longer.
"I love you, too."