Author's Note: So so sorry this is so late, my schedule has been really packed recently. But it's here now!
When Cinder woke up, she was feeling... actually rather refreshed.
After talking with Nora for... quite a while, the redhead offered to stay the night - Which of course she accepted. Not because she did not want to be alone, she just did not want to be rude. So, after a nice - and very early - dinner consisting of Mistrali takeout, they turned in for the night.
The next morning, Cinder awoke to a familiar pressure on top of her, which made her smile. Out of the many times the two had shared a bed, she actually quite enjoyed when Nora was the one cuddling up to her. It reminded her of when she used to wake up with Emerald in her arms, the younger woman's head on her chest, occasionally drooling onto her shirt - Not unlike the way she woke up with Nora sometimes. Though this particular morning was a bit different. When Cinder reached up to Nora's head - head scratches were almost always a sure way to help wake the girl up - what she felt was not her hair. Instead her hand made contact with her own shirt, yet... it still felt like there was a head underneath.
Cracking open her eye, Cinder looked down to find a rather... interesting sight. Nora was indeed on top of her, just not in the way she expected. Sitting beneath the fabric of her shirt was Nora's head, rather than it just being on her naked stomach like usual. What an odd sensation. Strangely enough it brought with it a similar feeling to when she was eaten out from under a skirt - Specifically Nora's skirt. That was an interesting story. Put simply, the redhead mentioned how she wanted to try something one afternoon, and because Cinder had not owned a skirt in quite some time, it ended with her wearing one of Nora's while the younger woman had her head in between her legs. What a fun day that was...
"You awake Cindy?" Came Nora's sudden and quiet voice from under her shirt, pulling Cinder from her thoughts.
A smile found its way onto Cinder's face as she rolled her eye. "And just how long have you been conscious?"
Nora giggled in response. "A little while."
"Why didn't you get up?" Cinder wondered. "Don't you have to go to the bathroom?"
"Maybe a wee bit." Nora admitted. "But I couldn't just abandon my two best friends!"
Cinder quirked her brow. Two best friends? "What are you talking about Nora?" Once again the redhead giggled, which further raised her suspicions. Then she felt a set of fingers begin to trail up her stomach - which tickled quite a bit - until they reached and gently took hold of her right breast. Of course that's what she meant.
"Well... I've got my one friend right here..." Nora began, giving it a quick squeeze for emphasis. "And then her sister over here..." She continued, bringing her other hand up to grasp Cinder's left breast, her head still pressed against the older woman's stomach. Nora hummed as she began to slowly fondle the soft mounds, moving her head up to plant a kiss on the left one. "I love these..."
Cinder let out a small chuckle. "As you've said many times."
"I can't help it!" Nora defended from under Cinder's shirt. "They're just so... great!"
"As if mine could even compare to yours." Cinder scoffed. "You have two perfect youthful breasts, all I've got are these half-burnt ba-ah!" She gasped as Nora suddenly bit down on one of her nipples. "You little shit!" Grabbing a hold of the redhead's shoulders, Cinder simultaneously flipped them over so she was on top and pulled Nora's head out from underneath her shirt. Once she had essentially pinned her to the bed, Nora just grinned.
"No self-hating on my watch!"
Letting out a sigh, Cinder could not help but smile down at her friend. In all honesty she probably should have expected her to do something like that. Whenever she said anything remotely negative about herself, Nora was always sure to tell her - or in cases such as this one, show her - how wrong she was.
"So you goin' into work today?" Nora wondered. Then she smirked. "Or am I gonna get you all to myself?"
Cinder chuckled. "Of course I'm going into work today, why wouldn't I be..." She began to answer before a realization hit her. "Wait... shit."
"What is it Cindy?" Nora asked, the smirk fading from her face.
"I completely forgot to text Raven." Cinder admitted, bringing a hand up to run it through her hair. She sighed. "Well I suppose I will be staying home today, as I doubt there's any need for me now."
"Why don't you ask?" Nora inquired. "The worst she could say is you can have the day off."
"Very well." Cinder acknowledged. It was true she still needed the money, but she also did not want to be useless. Getting off of Nora, Cinder reached over the mattress to retrieve her scroll from the floor before sitting back down beside her friend. After typing out a message to her boss, she read it several times to check for any mistakes.
Hello Raven,
I realized I forgot to inform you yesterday if I would be well enough to come in, but I was wondering if you needed me to work today.
- Cinder
Thankfully it was not long before Cinder received a response.
Raven: Well if you're feeling up to it that'd be great. We could use the extra help since it's Saturday and all, plus Yang's got the day off too.
A smile found its way onto Cinder's face. It was nice to know she would not be useless.
Cinder: Thank you very much Raven. I will make my way over after I eat lunch.
Unfortunately that smile faded when Raven's next response came.
Raven: Sounds good. Come to my office when you get here. I've gotta talk to you about something.
Well that's just great. Cinder thought to herself. Maybe this time it'll be about something I don't dread talking about. She sighed. Somehow she highly doubted that.
"You okay Cindy?" Nora wondered, a look of concern on her face.
"Raven said I can work today... but she wants to talk to me when I get there." Cinder informed, her shoulders slumping a bit.
Nora just smiled. "Doesn't mean it's a bad talk." Then that smile became a smirk. "You never know, could be the type where your bodies do the talkin'."
Cinder chuckled, shaking her head as she did so. "I don't think so Nora."
"You never knooowwww!" Nora grinned.
Cinder rolled her eye, turning away to attempt to suppress the slight blush on her face. "Let's just get some lunch made." She changed the subject, swinging her legs off of the mattress to stand up. Unfortunately that did not stop her mind from wandering into some very inappropriate places. Guess that's what I get for hanging around Nora so often. Cinder imagined sitting in Raven's office, the older woman sitting behind her desk, a hungry look in her eyes and a grin on her face. Her boss then raised from her chair, crawling up onto her desk before-
Nope.
Nope.
Nope!
That's your boss you're thinking about!
Stop it.
It was time for lunch.
After Nora had cooked them both a nice lunch, and said lunch had been consumed, Cinder was off to work - but of course not without the redhead helping her get prepared first. Normally whenever Nora assisted her with dressing, she always made it as sexy as possible, but she knew the older woman had to get to work, so she kept it plain and simple. Helping Cinder out of her makeshift pajamas, Nora retrieved a long-sleeved button-up shirt and a pair of dress pants - both black - as well as a clean set of underwear for her. Once she was dressed and ready, she bid Nora farewell and headed out.
As usual, it was only a short walk before Cinder arrived at the bar, but when she entered the parking lot, her shoulders immediately slumped. Sitting in its normal parking spot was... Vernal's Harley... Shit. Well, perhaps that was a bit harsh. It was not as if she disliked Vernal, it was just... she would rather have Yang working on this particular afternoon. Cinder sighed. Why did she have to be off today? She could really use the... emotional support - for lack of a better word - for when the talk with Raven inevitably goes to shit.
Wait a minute.
Pulling out her scroll, Cinder navigated through her notably small contacts list until she found the most recently created one - Yang's. Seeing the blonde's smiling face in the contact picture - as she insisted on taking one - gave her an idea. Just because she was unable to speak to Yang face to face after the unavoidable shitshow of a discussion with Raven, did not mean she could not speak with her at all. She could just text her. Although... it was her day off... Was it really fair for Cinder to text her for the sole purpose of venting? Now that she thought about it, probably not. Sliding her scroll back into her pocket, she let out another sigh. Guess I'll just... figure something out.
Once inside the building, Cinder contemplated getting her name tag, but ultimately decided against it and just went straight to her boss' office. Taking a deep breath, she firmly knocked on the door.
"Come in." Came Raven's voice from the other side.
One more deep breath. Slowly opening the door, Cinder stepped into the office. "You said you wanted to speak with me?" She asked, closing the door behind her and approaching her boss' desk.
"Yeah yeah, take a seat." Raven requested, gesturing to the chairs in front of her.
Once Cinder had sat down, Raven put her computer to sleep and turned to face her. This was the part where she expected her boss to begin talking, but instead she raised from her seat and circled the desk before sitting down in the second chair. Oh it's one of those talks. Wonderful.
"So uh, just like last time this isn't work talk, so I'm not speaking as your boss." Raven explained. "I'm speaking as someone who watched your health deteriorate until you actually collapsed out of exhaustion. Someone who's worried about your well being. Look, I know you're in a tough situation, but I'm not gonna let you work yourself to death. So I uh..." She sighed, actually avoiding Cinder's gaze, as if she were embarrassed, or... guilty. "I called in a favour."
Called in a favour? The words echoed in Cinder's mind. "What exactly does that entail?" She wondered aloud.
"I have an old uh, friend- or... acquaintance, Glynda... I'm not really sure what we are exactly, but that's besides the point." Raven continued, still not meeting the younger woman's eye. "She's a therapist, and after work yesterday I called her to ask if... she would see you for an appointment."
Cinder did not respond immediately, her mind too busy trying to process what her boss just said. "Excuse me?" Was what ended up leaving her mouth, in a slightly harsher tone than she meant to use. Even so, a therapy appointment? Did Raven think there was something... wrong with her? Sure she had a bit of a problem with her insomnia, but that was far from a reason to go to therapy. So she had a nightmare every other night? It was not as if that was a new issue. Plus that would soon be taken care of with help from Nora.
"I told her I'd talk to you before making any decisions, but I think this could be good for you." Raven encouraged, finally meeting Cinder's gaze and offering a tired smile.
"Good for me?" Cinder repeated, hostility in her voice. She knew this was definitely not the tone to have around her boss, but she also did not like what Raven was suggesting. "I don't want to be oogled and pitied by some stranger who's going to peel apart my feelings until they think they know me."
"Cinde-"
"I'm not going to spend hundreds of lien that I don't have, allow them to poke and prod until I share my life story with them." Cinder continued, her voice beginning to lose its edge as her gaze fell to her lap. "I don't want to be examined by anyone... I just want the pain to go away... To be able to look at myself in the mirror again and not be... disgusted at what I see." Suddenly she felt her boss' hand on her shoulder, but she did not turn.
"I realize it's not the most preferable option, but I've seen first hand what happens to people when they try to deal with their issues alone." Raven pressed. "I really think Glynda can help you. I wouldn't have called her if I didn't think she could. Look, I'm not gonna force you to go, but just... see her once. If it doesn't help, you don't have to go again." She offered a slight smile, even though the younger woman was not looking. "I'll uh, even go with you if you don't wanna go alone."
Cinder kept her eye glued to her lap, not wanting to meet Raven's gaze. She knew for a fact she definitely did not want to go to therapy, but on the other hand... her boss thought she should go. It was true she said Cinder had a choice, but was refusing to go really an option? If she were to say no, what would Raven say? She would surely be disappointed, especially since she went to the trouble of contacting a therapist for her. So... what could she do? As far as Cinder could imagine, she had two options: She could either go to therapy and fix herself, or she could decline, not only letting her boss down, but likely ensuring she gets fired down the line.
Well fuck.
Taking a deep breath, Cinder hesitantly raised her head and turned to face her boss, who still had a slight smile on her face. As much as she wished she could say no, it was not really an option. It took a bit of time, but eventually she was able to slowly nod before speaking a single word.
"Okay..."
Cinder was very much not looking forward to this.
After a surprisingly short shift, it was finally time... and Cinder was absolutely terrified.
Talking about - and subsequently agreeing to - therapy was one thing, but actually going? Now that was something else entirely. In all honesty, she was not entirely sure if she was actually ready for this - considering she needed her boss to call Glynda back for her to set up this appointment - but sadly it was a bit too late to reconsider things. Once again, Cinder wished she could just disappear. Too bad that was impossible, as she was currently in Raven's car... on route to Glynda's office.
Wonderful.
On one hand, Cinder was somewhat relieved the appointment was scheduled for today, as she did not have to spend more than a day with the thought plaguing her mind, but on the other... it meant she did not have nearly enough time to mentally prepare for this. At least she had the rest of the car ride to-
"Hey, we're here." Came Raven's voice, pulling Cinder from her thoughts as she felt the car come to a stop.
Fuck.
As her boss turned off the car engine, Cinder looked up from her lap to observe their surroundings. She could see they were parked in front of a modest building, a large sign board set above the front door and windows.
Goodwitch Therapy
"Ready?" Raven asked as she unbuckled her seat belt.
Cinder sighed, doing the same. "Is it too late to say no?" She wondered as Raven opened her own door.
Turning back towards the younger woman, Raven offered a slight smile. "You've got nothing to worry about, Glynda's not gonna bite." Then she paused. "Well, unless she's drunk." To which Cinder raised her brow, causing Raven to chuckle. "I'll tell you some other time." She promised before getting out of the car.
Taking a deep breath, Cinder reached for the car door, her hands beginning to shake. She exited the vehicle and timidly followed Raven to the front entrance of the building, but before they reached the door, she stopped dead in her tracks.
I can't do this.
Cinder did not want to be here. She wanted to get back in Raven's car, beg her boss to take her home. As nice as it would be to fix her issues, she had absolutely no desire to talk about all of those issues with another person. Cinder did not want to be pitied anymore, or worse... judged. Raven had told her that she had nothing to worry about, but in truth she had a lot to be worried about. For all she knew, they were going to walk into that office and she would be turned away due to what she was accused of. She was just so tired of being followed by that fire everywhere she went.
"You coming?" Raven wondered as she held the door open, interrupting Cinder's less-than-pleasant train of thought.
"I... can't do this." Cinder bit through clenched teeth, her shoulders paralyzed with tension.
Letting the door swing closed, Raven approached Cinder. Her gaze shifted downward, likely to the younger woman's trembling hands, before doing something rather... unexpected. Positioning herself on Cinder's left, she reached over and took her employee's quivering hand in her own, intertwining their fingers, and as if by instinct, Cinder gripped it like a lifeline.
"You can, and you will." Raven assured. "It's not gonna be easy, but I promise it'll be worth it." She offered another smile. "And uh, if it makes you feel any better, I'm next on the chopping block."
Cinder blinked. "You... are?"
Raven nodded. "It was a condition of letting me pay for any of your future sessions."
Oh, that would make sense- Wait a minute. Cinder's eye widened. "You're... paying for this?"
"Yup." Raven confirmed. "I didn't think it'd be fair to make you pay for something that was my idea."
Cinder opened her mouth to answer, but no words came. What could she even say? Raven had not only signed her up for therapy because she was worried, but she was paying for it. Thankfully she was eventually able to at least manage something. "Thank you..."
"Don't mention it." Raven smiled. "Now come on, Glynda's likely waiting for us."
Taking a deep breath, Cinder slowly nodded. "Okay."
With Raven taking the lead, the pair made their way through the front door and into what Cinder could only guess was a waiting room. It was not a very large space, but also not cramped. Most would call it an average waiting room. Light tones, plenty of natural light, uplifting posters on the walls, a number of empty chairs filling the area, a television playing the news perched up on the wall, a black-haired secretary that practically had her own office, standard stuff. Overall, it was not an overly fancy place, but it was still... pleasant, which was at least nice.
As the door closed behind them, the secretary looked up and warmly smiled at the pair. "Hi there, what can I do for you?"
"Hey." Raven greeted. "This is Cinder, she's got an appointment scheduled with Glynda for today."
The secretary moved over to her computer and began typing, where Cinder could see her hair was actually not black, but a very dark grey. "Cinder... Fall?" She wondered, looking back to the pair. Cinder timidly nodded in response. The secretary smiled. "It's nice to meet you Ms. Fall. I'm Gwen, Dr. Goodwitch's assistant."
Oh, assistant, not secretary. Cinder offered a small smile. "Nice to meet you..."
"I'll retrieve Dr. Goodwitch." Gwen stood from her chair. "She's just in her office."
"Thanks." Raven acknowledged as Gwen exited her little office-type-room and made her way down the hallway.
Luckily - or maybe unluckily, depending on who was asked - Gwen soon returned, followed by a taller, older, and if Cinder was being honest, quite attractive blonde woman, clad in a white dress shirt and a high-waste pencil skirt - as well as a pair of thin ovular glasses. Must be Glynda. Cinder thought to herself. As she approached the pair, she offered a smile to Cinder, but as her eyes landed on Raven, she stopped, her smile vanishing. Cinder looked between the two. She was aware that they knew one another, but was somewhat confused over why they were just staring at each other. Maybe something had happened in the past? Thankfully when Glynda continued walking, she did not look angry. Instead she seemed... relieved. Cinder watched as the blonde walked straight towards them, a smile growing on her face - even tears beginning to pool in her eyes - before she threw her arms around Raven, nearly knocking her over.
"Oomf!" Raven managed as she tried to not only keep her balance under Glynda's weight, but do it one-handed - since Cinder was still grasping her hand. "Nice to see you too."
Glynda was silent briefly, simply relishing the moment. Eventually she spoke, fairly softly. "I missed you Raven."
Raven let out a soft chuckle, patting the blonde on the back. "Missed you too Glynda."
Cinder got the feeling there was much more to this relationship than Raven initially let on.
Releasing Raven, Glynda took a step back, wiping the tears from her eyes. Shifting her gaze downward, likely to the pair's linked hands, she briefly raised a brow before quickly looking back up to the younger woman and smiling. "You must be Ms. Fall."
Cinder timidly nodded. "Just Cinder is fine."
"Very well, Cinder." Glynda acknowledged. "Why don't you follow me to one of the back rooms and we can get started."
Cinder went to take a step forward, but she froze, still feeling Raven's hand firmly holding her own. "Is it... alright if Raven is present?" She requested.
"Is that okay with you?" Glynda asked, turning to the woman in question, who nodded.
"I said I'd come with her, so if she wants me there, I'll be there." Raven answered.
"Alright, please follow me." Glynda smiled, turning to lead the pair into one of the back rooms.
As Cinder - practically led by the hand by Raven - entered the fairly small room, she could not help but notice how well it matched the rest of the office. It has such a pleasant tone. While Cinder and Raven took their seats on the lone couch, Glynda took her own in the armchair opposite of it. The room was silent briefly, so the blonde decided to speak up.
"So, where shall we begin?" Glynda asked, crossing one leg over the other as she smiled.
"I, um..." Cinder hesitantly started, but was unable to continue. She looked to her boss, who offered her own tired smile. You can do this. Cinder told herself. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "Raven thought I should come see you..."
"And why is that?" Glynda inquired.
Cinder opened her mouth to speak, but no answer came. She knew exactly why she was there, but she could not quite find her voice. It was as if she was unable to speak. Why can't I answer her? She had been able to open up about all her feelings and problems to Nora, so... why not Glynda? Was it because she was a professional therapist, rather than just a friend offering the help? Whatever the reason might have been, it was preventing Cinder from answering the question. If not for Raven holding her hand, she likely would have been shaking. Luckily Glynda seemed to take notice of her uneasiness.
"Why don't I start?" Glynda offered.
Cinder blinked. "You... start?" She echoed.
"That's right. I cannot force you to open up, so I think I should instead... lower myself to a more relatable level." Glynda explained. "Show you that you can trust me with your issues by proving that I trust you with mine."
After a moment Cinder nodded. "Okay..." She managed.
"Well, then I'll start from the beginning then." Glynda began. "Just over eight years ago, I had a husband, James. He was in the military, joined before we got together, so by the time we married I was already quite used to spending periods of time without him. Though, just because I was used to it, did not mean it was easy. It wasn't. Far from it in fact. Not only were those the loneliest times of my life, but I was also constantly worried over whether James would come back or not." A small smile found its way onto the blonde's face. "But he always did, no matter how bad things seem to get." Then that smile faded. "Until he didn't."
Glynda did not continue immediately, instead taking a deep breath first. "It was supposed to be like any other time... I would meet him at the airport, we would head home, I'd cook us dinner, then we'd spend a nice romantic evening together... Instead I was met by one of his subordinates, who informed me... he had been killed in action..." Reaching over to the coffee table, she grabbed a tissue from the box that sat atop the coffee table that separated her from the other two, before lifting her glasses to dab the tears pooling in her eyes. "After the funeral, I fell apart... I couldn't work, I hardly ate, I barely even left my house. The only thing I did do was drink. I drank and I drank and I drank, trying to rid myself of the pain, but as many others could tell you, drinking away your problems doesn't really solve anything. It merely makes things worse." She sighed. "Now I'm sure you're wondering how I was able to make it out of that hole. Well, she's sitting right next to you."
Cinder's eye widened. What? She turned to her boss, who proceeded to... roll her eyes?
"As if I really did anything." Raven scoffed. "I'm sure you could've gotten yourself out of it."
"Or I could've been picked up by someone much less friendly than you." Glynda countered. "Or drunkenly stumbled into traffic."
"You're much too smart for that." Raven insisted. "You didn't need me to help you."
Glynda let out a soft chuckle. "A modest one isn't she?"
Cinder managed a smile. Modest could definitely be one word used to describe Raven, who just rolled her eyes again. Though that begged the question... "What... exactly did she do for you?" She asked.
"She saved me." Glynda informed with a smile. "Eight years ago I was just some intoxicated mess of a woman who staggered into her bar, but she decided to help me, or rather take pity on me. I was quite a sad sight back then. Not only did she not kick me out when I caused a commotion, but she offered to call me a cab, and even offered me a place to stay when I couldn't remember where my home was." Then her eyes briefly flicked to Raven before moving back to Cinder. "Well, I suppose couldn't remember is a bit of an over exaggeration. Truthfully I just... did not want to go home. There were too many memories there. All the photos of us, all the furniture we bought together, just... everything in that house only served as a reminder that James was gone." She sighed. "At my lowest point, Raven gave me the one thing I really needed; someone that I could just... talk to. When I didn't want to be at home, she gave me a place to stay. When I needed a shoulder to cry on, she was there." A smile formed on Glynda's face. "I'm sure she'll downplay it if asked, but if it was not for her, I'm unsure if I would be sitting here today."
So Raven saved her... just like she saved me...
"Now I realize that my issues likely differ greatly from your own, but I wanted to show you that I understand what it's like to hit rock bottom." Glynda explained. "To feel like there's nowhere left for you to go... But trust me when I say this; it's okay to ask for help. While I know quite well how hard it is, and how... weak it can make you feel, but I promise you, it can make the difference between getting better and... well, reaching the end of the line early."
Well, Glynda was certainly not wrong there. Having to rely on so many others for her problems did make Cinder feel weak... powerless even... Like she was unable to properly care for herself. All she wanted was for that feeling to go away. She just... did not know how to do that. It was true Nora had been - and honestly continues to be - a huge help when Cinder first arrived in the area, but there was only so much she could do. So... maybe it was time for her to actually accept the help from the professional therapist that was sitting right across the table from her.
Taking a deep breath, feeling the warmth of Raven's hand against her own, Cinder finally spoke. "I...I think I can try."
Glynda offered a soft smile. "I'm glad to hear that Cinder." Clicking open her pen, she raised her clipboard to write something down on it - Probably how long it took the younger woman to say she was ready. "Now, how have you been sleeping recently?"
Cinder lightly sighed in response.
This was going to be a long visit.
Pyrrha was quite glad to have had Yang around for the past day. Truth be told, she wished they could all spend more time together. Unfortunately Yang hardly ever took the weekends off, so aside from their visits to the bar during her shifts, they did not get to see her that often. Whenever they knew she was not working, she always seemed to be busy, not feeling well, or in the cases Pyrrha really did not like, she had plans with Neo. Which sadly led to why Yang was currently staying at her and Ruby's apartment - She had just gotten her heart broken... again.
From what little Yang had told them about that woman - and what Pyrrha had actually witnessed while at The Perch - she could easily tell that her sister-in-law was not exactly in an ideal relationship. So when Yang had informed them that Neo had broken up with her, Pyrrha was almost... relieved... but at the same time she was not glad. Not in the slightest. She was not glad that Yang had been dumped by that... that tiny gremlin! All Pyrrha - and Ruby of course - wanted was for Yang to be happy, but she also knew that for years, there had been one thing, or to be more specific, one person, that prevented her from being truly happy-
"Hey Pyr?" Came Ruby's voice from next to her, pulling Pyrrha from her... less than pleasant thoughts.
Turning to face her wife, Pyrrha offered a smile. "Yes my dear?"
"You gonna finish chopping the tomatoes?" Ruby wondered.
Looking down, Pyrrha realized she had been neglecting her current task. "Oh, yes, of course." She responded before getting back to cutting. She and Ruby were in the midst of cooking a special dinner that was sure to help cheer Yang up... At least they hoped it would. Spicy Arrabiata pasta made with Rotelle - those little wheel-shaped noodles - and sausage was her favourite. But they would have to wait and see. Ever since the prior night - when they brought the intoxicated Yang back to the apartment - she had spent almost all of her time cooped up in the guest bedroom. The only times the redhead saw her leave was to use the bathroom and eat breakfast in the morning - the latter only because Ruby made her eat before she and Pyrrha each left for work. Meanwhile Yang had chosen to stay home, but yet again, only after a fair amount of convincing from her sister.
Once Pyrrha was done chopping the tomatoes, she lifted the cutting board to add the fruit pieces to the large frying pan full of other ingredients that her wife was currently tending to. After that she moved over to the sink to quickly wash the cutting board before depositing it onto the drying rack. She then rejoined Ruby - who was adding the last ingredients to the pan - at the stove to take the now-ready pasta off the burner and drain the water into the sink. Next she passed the pot to her wife, who poured the pasta into the frying pan.
"You wanna go get Yang?" Ruby asked as she began to stir the pasta. "Maybe you can get her help you set the table."
"Sure." Was not quite the answer Pyrrha wanted to give, but she was also not going say no. Making her way out of the kitchen and towards the guest bedroom, she sighed. Ruby's constant positive attitude made her so much better at dealing with Yang when she was... well, depressed. But sadly her wife was busy with dinner, so it was up to Pyrrha. As she approached the bedroom door, she gently knocked, and as she expected, no answer came.
"Yang?" Pyrrha called out. "It's almost time for dinner, and I was wondering if you could help me set the table." Still no answer. "May I come in?" Once again, no answer, causing her to sigh. Reaching for the doorknob, Pyrrha slowly opened the bedroom door, and was met with a sight she was somewhat expecting, but still hoped she would not have to see. Curled up on the bed with her back to the redhead was Yang, looking even worse than before she left for work. Her hair was still a mess - meaning she had forgone a shower - and her pajama top was nowhere to be seen. Thankfully she was was still wearing the matching pants, but her entire upper body was on full display, along with the slightly faded Chinese dragon tattoo on her lower back - Something Pyrrha had nearly forgotten she had. Even with that, the redhead would have breathed a small sigh of relief - at first glance thinking the other woman failed to answer her calls because she was merely asleep - but she heard sniffling, which she knew was not a good sign.
As Pyrrha silently observed the frankly sad sight, her legs refusing to move, she could not help but think about how... different Yang currently was from her sister. They had grown up in the same home, were cared for under the same people, yet now... they were in such dissimilar places in their lives. Ruby was just twenty one, and she not only had a degree from a good university and a great job at a fairly large software company, but she was married. Yang on the other hand... did not have any of that. At twenty three, she had not gone to university - or even college for that matter - she had a near-dead end job, and her love life was... problematic to say the least. Though to be fair that was hardly her fault. No, the responsibility for Yang's disastrous post-high school romantic endeavors lay with one person and one person alone. Someone who Pyrrha would rather not think about, as just the thought of her sickened the redhead.
After a quick breath, Pyrrha approached Yang, taking a seat on the bed next to her - and the blonde did not even move a muscle. She opened her mouth to speak, but froze. From her now closer position to Yang, Pyrrha was able to see why she was sniffling, and it made her heart sink. She was holding the previously lost pajama top in front of her, with tears running down her face.
Pyrrha lightly sighed. "Why do you keep doing this to yourself?" She asked, to which the blonde surprisingly answered.
"She was the one Pyr..." Yang mumbled between sniffles. "And I fucked it up..."
Those words sent a pang through Pyrrha's heart. She knew very well the story of Yang and Blake's... complicated relationship. How they were once best friends, but the presence of romantic interest ruined that. They both confessed, and were both rejected. The difference was with how it was handled. When Yang was the one doing the rejecting, she made sure to do her best to preserve their friendship, but when Blake was in that position, she did no such thing. Instead she decided to stop talking to Yang entirely before permanently moving to Menagerie, completely destroying the friendship that the blonde worked so hard to maintain. Though that did not mean Pyrrha was not aware of how different the confessions themselves were. While Blake opted for a more romantic gesture, Yang, well... did it at their high school graduation party while fairly intoxicated before kissing the other girl. Not exactly the most dignified way to make one's feelings known. But at the same time, that did not excuse what the Faunus did afterward. Not one bit.
Pyrrha placed a hand upon Yang's shoulder. "If she was truly the one, you would not be here alone right now. You know that Yang."
The other woman did not respond immediately, instead she sighed, letting the pajama top slip from her fingers and fall onto the bed. "So why does it still hurt so much?"
"Breakups can often bring with them thoughts of past relationships, partners, love interests... people that once brought pleasant memories. You believe focusing on someone else will help make you feel better, but in the end it only does the opposite." Pyrrha explained, her gaze falling slightly. "I know this very well, in fact I've experienced it." To which Yang partially turned her head towards her sister-in-law, who offered a smile. "As I said yesterday, we understand what you're going through Yang. We're family."
"What happened to you?" Yang quietly asked after a brief silence.
"Well, it was back during my second year of university, after... Jaune and I had broken up." Pyrrha informed, her voice wobbling slightly. She and Jaune had dated for four years, sharing many firsts together, but sadly grew apart due to attending different universities. "The decision to end the relationship was not at all an easy one, but both of us could see the long distance wasn't working out." She sighed. "Then after we had broken up, I... didn't fare very well to say the least. My grades began to slip, I ate less, I avoided going out, and most of all, Jaune was constantly at the forefront of my thoughts. I spent weeks in a similar position to you. I'd go to my classes, do the work, then just... lie around. It wasn't until a friend of mine suggested I should go out and get laid that I thought I figured out what I could do."
Yang's eyes widened slightly in response, causing Pyrrha to chuckle. "I didn't follow their advice to sleep around after that if you're wondering, as much as I may have been tempted to. Going out and having sex with some random person just to make myself feel better... it wouldn't have felt right. Instead I just tried to fill my mind with thoughts of someone else other than Jaune, which eventually lead me to the crush I had before him; Saphron. Now I realize it's rather odd to think about a newly ex-boyfriend's sister, but it worked quite well, at least in the beginning. All the pleasant memories I had of her really helped with drowning out the unhappy ones." A smile found its way onto her face. "I even reached out to her and we texted back and forth for a little while." Then that smile faded. "Unfortunately it didn't last. No matter how much I wished I could avoid it, thinking about and talking to Saphron as much as I did led to hearing about her girlfriend... or wife by that point. I can't deny it wasn't nice to hear about how happy she was, but it still hurt as reminder that I was still alone."
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Yang turned further toward the redhead. "So... how did you get out of that... hole?"
"I had help." Pyrrha answered with a smile.
"You had... help?" Yang echoed.
Pyrrha nodded. "When I began to... slip again, I stopped talking to Saphron. It became too painful. Though luckily for me, she noticed. Considering how often I texted her before that, I imagine it was hard not to. Within a couple days she contacted me to ask if everything was okay. I attempted to assure her that things were fine, but as I expected, even in text she saw right through me. Though I suppose I wasn't exactly the best at hiding my emotions when I was a teenager." She lightly chuckled. "But the point is, Saphron put things into perspective for me, and gave me the one thing I truly needed; someone I could talk to about my issues. She acknowledged everything wasn't okay, but taught me how I could work through it, and over the many times we spoke, there's one thing that has always stuck with me. Yang, if you really want to move forward, to honestly be happy, you have to stop focusing on the past, and start looking toward the future."
Once again - and as expected - Yang did not respond immediately, instead she shifted her gaze away from Pyrrha, seemingly in thought. The room was silent for a short time, the only thing that could be heard was an occasional sniffle from the blonde. Eventually Yang slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, but did not meet the other woman's gaze, keeping her eyes focused on her lap. Thankfully she soon looked up to make eye contact with Pyrrha, who offered a gentle smile.
"What do I do?" Yang quietly asked.
Reaching over, Pyrrha took Yang's hands in her own. "Let us help you."
"I..." Yang started before looking down at their connected hands. She then slowly nodded. "Okay..."
Pyrrha's smile grew brighter. "Thank you Yang." Releasing the blonde's hands, she shifted closer to wrap her in a gentle embrace, Yang briefly hesitating before accepting the hug, burying her face in the other woman's shoulder. As the pair simply sat in silence, enjoying each other's company, Pyrrha could not help but look over at the loose pajama shirt behind Yang. It made her frown. She knew that it was a horrible thing to imagine, but sometimes she wished that her sister-in-law had never met Blake in the first place.
Yang's life was lacking in a lot of ways... Schooling, her job, companionship... even with Neo, and Pyrrha viewed it as very much Blake's fault. She was always Yang's better half, and they worked well with that reality. Yang needed someone like Blake to temper her, and the Faunus would have known that, but she left their relationship in painful shambles, and made no effort to repair things. It was a betrayal of their bond. The thought of Pyrrha herself doing that to Ruby physically sickened her. So Blake sickened her. And Yang saddened her.
Yang needed purpose in life to give her structure. When they were young it was being a big sister. When Ruby matured, it was being Blake's other half. Without her she had fallen, and her attempts to fill that hole have only caused her more pain. Pyrrha had simple, strong views on the world. You take care of your own. You love them as family and support them through thick and thin. To do less is a betrayal of the soul the gods bestowed upon you. Blake had forsaken Yang's love and broken their bond, and never taken responsibility for that pain. Allowing Yang to wallow in it in her stead.
"I'm sorry." The blonde suddenly spoke, interrupting Pyrrha's train of thought.
"What are you sorry for?" Pyrrha wondered. genuinely confused.
"It must be embarrassing to have such a mess for a sister-in-law." Yang mumbled into Pyrrha's shoulder
"Now stop it." Pyrrha snapped. "You are not a mess. You may not be in the best place right now, but that doesn't matter. You're family Yang, and I love you. We love you."
After a moment, Yang lifted herself off of Pyrrha, offering a slight smile. "Thanks Pyr... And I love you guys too."
Pyrrha opened her mouth to respond, but she heard a giggle from the towards the door. Turning to the direction of the voice, Pyrrha found Ruby standing in the guest bedroom doorway, a smile present on her face.
"So is this what you meant when you said you were gonna throw yourself at my wife?"
Pyrrha knew she was joking, and that was not at all what was happening, so she decided to play along, turning back to the blonde. "Oh is that what you were doing?" Pyrrha faux-innocently wondered. "Why didn't you tell me Yang? I would have taken off my shirt as well."
Yang blinked. "Wait what-"
"Pyrrha!"
The redhead chuckled. "You know I kid, dear. She already had her shirt off before I came in."
As expected, Ruby just pouted like a child - it was so cute. "Well, just put it back on, it's time to set the table." She instructed before heading back to the kitchen.
Standing up from the bed, Pyrrha looked to Yang with a warm smile.
"Come on, we made your favourite."
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed! :D
Let me know what you thought in the comments!
