"She's going to find out eventually," Red says.
"Not if we're careful she won't," Sabrina mutters into Red's hair.
They're curled up in Red's bed, half-watching a horror movie on TV and judging the characters for making stupid decisions. One of the characters is named Daphne, which is how they've ended up talking about her.
Red laughs a little and runs a hand up and down Sabrina's back. "Is it that important to you?" she asks, and she sounds kind of sad.
Sabrina unburies her face from Red's neck to look her girlfriend in the face. "What's wrong?"
Red shrugs. "Nothing."
"Hey," Sabrina says. "Don't give me that. It doesn't work on me." Because she's worked too hard for too long to make sure it didn't work on her, that someone paid attention to Red the way Red pays attention to everyone else.
"It's just…" Red starts, stops. Looks out the window and at anything but Sabrina.
"What?" Sabrina asks again.
"Are you ashamed of us?" Red asks at last, very very quiet. And then, louder, in a rush, "I'm not pressuring you to come out to everyone or everything, but I know you're out to your family and I know it's weird that they're sort of my family too but it just feels like you don't want anyone to know and if we can't tell Daphne then we can't tell anyone else and it makes me feel like you don't want anyone to know about me and it makes me feel… bad," she finishes lamely.
Oh. Oh no.
Sabrina's not great at emotional speeches. She's never been. She'll try, though. For Red.
"It's not that," she starts. "It's… Okay, this is going to sound bad, but just listen, okay?"
Red nods.
"Right," Sabrina starts again. "It's like. You're Daphne's. Not like you belong to her, or anything stupid like that. But like you're her best friend. Her person. And for a while it felt like you were hers and Puck was mine, and we both got along with each other's person which is great because like I want Daphne to get along with people who are important to me, but I just… I don't think she's going to be happy that we're dating."
"She probably won't," Red agrees.
"Great," Sabrina says. "So we're agreed, then? We keep this a secret as long as we possibly can?"
"No."
Yeah, Sabrina didn't really think Red was going to go for that one.
"Please?" She knows she sounds whiny. She buries her face in Red's shoulder again, for good measure.
"No," Red repeats, but she lets Sabrina stay buried in the safety of her girlfriend's warm chest. "We're gonna get it all out in the open so that she doesn't get mad at us for keeping secrets from her."
Sabrina lets out a long groan of complaint but doesn't argue. Red's right, she knows.
Red gives her a sympathetic pat on the head.
Daphne comes home a few hours later. Sabrina and Red are watching another horror movie with the door open, though they're in a slightly less compromising position. This movie's better. Sabrina's a big fan of Tucker and Dale Versus Evil, and she wants to actually pay attention. Instead, they're both against Red's headboard, ankles crossed over each other's but not twisted together.
Daphne, as she is wont to do, bounces into the room and straight into bed between them, already talking before she's even in the room. "Hi guys! What're we— ooh, Tucker and Dale! I love this movie!" She smacks Sabrina on the shoulder, not hard. "Why didn't you wait for me? It's stupid that the middle school had a full day when the high school only had a half day. Red, are you sure you couldn't have waited to grow up a little bit for me? The other kids in my grade are fine, but I miss having you in my class."
"Hello to you too," Red says with a little laugh. She reaches around Daphne and Sabrina both, rummaging for the remote.
Sabrina hands it to her. Their fingers brush, and it's not like it's the first time, but Sabrina can't resist the shiver it brings her. Daphne's eyes catch on it, and Sabrina and Red both see her realize something.
Well. Now or never.
"Daphne," Sabrina starts.
"We have to tell you something," Red says.
"Oh come on!" Daphne says, and it's half shout half sob.
"Daphne—" Red says, but Daphne is already climbing out of bed again, shoving past their arms and away from them, straight out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
"That went well," Sabrina mutters.
Red shoves her lightly.
Sabrina goes to find her sister a few hours later, once she judges that Daphne's had time to calm down. Daphne is on the back porch, throwing mini marshmallows at pixies. The pixies are swooping to catch the marshmallows and making little pictures in the air as they go before the marshmallows disappear to who knows where. Sabrina sits next to her sister without saying anything.
"You could've told me," Daphne says.
"I didn't know," Sabrina says.
Daphne laughs. "Sure you didn't."
"No, that's not what I—" Sabrina cuts herself off, starts again. "I thought we were just friends. And as soon as I figured out it was more than that, we were already— It happened kind of fast."
Daphne throws several more marshmallows. The pixies dance into a heart shape, which cracks in half.
"How long?" she asks at last.
"A few weeks," Sabrina says. "We were going to tell you today, only…"
"Yeah," Daphne says.
The pixies form a daisy, then a flame.
"What about Puck?"
Sabrina shrugs. "He's never around. Hard to love someone you never see. But I talked with him a while ago."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You never take me seriously when I say Puck and I aren't a couple. Why would this be any different?"
Daphne makes a face. The pixies dance a raincloud.
"Are you mad?" Sabrina asks.
"Do you love her?" Daphne asks right back.
"We haven't even been dating a month," Sabrina says. "I think it's a little soon for that.
"Sabrina."
"I think maybe yes," Sabrina confesses.
Daphne crumples.
"I'm sorry," Sabrina says. "I know she was your friend first."
"It's always you," Daphne mutters. "I try and try and try, but everyone always picks you. Puck and Pinocchio like you best, and Charming, and Uncle Jake, and now Red."
Sabrina considers pointing out that Daphne is definitely Granny's favorite, and Snow's, and that Daphne doesn't even like Pinocchio, but she doesn't think it'll help. "We talked about it," she says instead. "Me and Red. And if you really want us to, we'll break up."
"That's not fair!" Daphne wails, and she slams a fist against the railing. "Because if I say yes, break up, you'll both end up resenting me, and you'll still feel that way about each other! It's not a choice at all! I lose both of you either way!"
"You're not losing us," Sabrina says, and she puts a tentative arm around Daphne's shaking shoulders. "I swear, Daphne. You will always be one of the most important people in my life. You're my sister. And I can't speak for Red, but I know she loves you just as much as I do."
"Not enough," Daphne mutters.
Sabrina stops and considers this. Does Daphne…? No.
"Daphne," she says slowly. "Do you…"
"It doesn't matter," Daphne says.
"It does," Sabrina says. She moves, slides down the steps to crouch in front of her sister. "It matters."
"It's just a stupid crush," Daphne says. "I've had crushes before. It just hurts extra. Because it's you."
"Oh, Daphne," Sabrina says. She wraps her arms around her sister again. For a long time, she just holds Daphne while she cries.
After, they go back inside. Red is waiting there for them. She offers Daphne a tentative smile. Daphne's smile is puffy and wet, but it's real.
"I'm happy for you," she says, looking between them. "Really I am."
"Are you?" Red asks.
"Yeah," Daphne says. She takes a deep, shuddering breath. "Yeah, I am."
Neither of them deserve this girl.