4. Thai-rapy

At least the food still tasted good. Anne groaned. It had only been three days since Marcy had dropped that bomb on her, and she was still no closer to figuring out how to deal with it. She hadn't slept very well and had been pretty much on autopilot at work and she had thought eating at Thai Go would cheer her up. And it … did. Seeing her parents, hearing her mom laugh and experiencing her dad acting cringy was always nice and the food brought back some of her energy after a day of work. She just … didn't feel that hungry.

"Excuse me," she suddenly heard a voice in front of her. She hadn't even heard someone approaching. "May I sit down?"

She looked up and found Sasha smiling at her gently. Gosh, why did she always have to look so good? Anne felt a bit jealous. She felt like crap and although Sasha had probably been at work for as long as she had been today, she still looked relaxed and elegant in her light blue blouse and black trousers, with her trademark sunglasses, high heels and a small handbag completing the picture. For a moment Anne considered being petty and saying no, but would have just been sad.

"Sit," she grumbled, pointing at the chair on the other side of the table. "I'll not talk about it though."

Sasha sat down, breathing a sigh of relief. "Haven't been here in ages," she remarked. "Not much has changed."

"Why mess with perfection?" Anne countered, still eating and avoiding staring at her friend. She was a bit annoyed that Sasha was here, but it would have still been very rude not to talk to her at all. And well, the blonde was probably here to try to mediate and wasn't at fault for anything. That she knew of.

Sasha laughed. "True. I should have come by more often."

Anne ate slower. She wanted to look busy eating if Sasha planned to make this a longer conversation. "I'm not here that often anymore either," Anne admitted. "The Food is still good though."

"I don't doubt it."

"Sasha? Is that you, honey?" Anne could hear her mother approach. She still didn't look up and continued eating.

"Hello, Mrs. Boonchuy," Sasha greeted the older woman politely. "Yes, it's me."

"You look fabulous, dear," Oum complimented her. "You haven't been here for quite a while."

"And I apologize for that." Sasha lowered her head a bit. "Always busy with work and stuff … but now that I'm here I'd like some of your delicious food, if that's possible."

"Well … we were just getting ready to call it a day and give Anne the key to close up when she is done eating. But since you are an old friend … how about I whip up something fast for you? Nothing special I'm afraid, Bee is already cleaning the kitchen."

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Boonchuy. Anything you cook will always taste delicious to me."

"Oh, she is still a charmer, isn't she, Anne?" her mother asked Anne, who just nodded. "It will only take a moment."

"She still looks good," Sasha told Anne after her mother had gone back to the kitchen. "And Thai Go still seems to do okay either. Maybe I should try to ask her out again."

Anne rolled her eyes so hard she could nearly see her brain. "Seriously dude, you hitting on my mom stopped being funny before our 15th birthday," she told friend, who was currently putting her sunglasses in her purse. "You may still get a laugh out of her, but that's because she always liked you for some reason."

"Of course she did," Sasha replied smugly and rested her elbows on the table, sustaining her chin and showing Anne a bright grin. "She did call me charming, didn't she? And she is still a MILF."

"Urgh!" Anne's gaze rotated between her food and her lewdly grinning so-called friend. "Do you WANT me to throw up, Waybright?"

"I'm just saying," Sasha added, playing innocent. "She still has this unique mixture, her dark, exotic skin and robot-fighting prowess … and on the other hand her gentle, caring nature, love for cooking, her warm laughter ..." Her gaze became more intense. "She's a real catch. Your dad is a lucky man."

Of course Anne knew that Sasha really meant her. The blonde hadn't exactly been subtle in her flirting attempts… though sadly Anne had been horrible in catching romantic clues as a teenager, so it had only been obvious to others. It had taken her a while to realize that Sasha hadn't been trying to tease her by complimenting her mom, but that she had been flirting with HER. Yet they had just begun drifting apart then and entering collage life and Anne had been too insecure about a big change in their relationship … so she hadn't asked for clarification. She wasn't sure how deep Sasha's feelings for her had been all those years ago, but although she had moved on … she still wondered about it sometimes. Still, Sasha hadn't pressed ahead either then, so it had probably been just a crush. And today especially she wasn't interested in ANY kind of romantic conversation with her old friend.

"M-hm," she made. She didn't really have any illusions that Sasha would stop trying to initiate the conversation she was really here for, but she at least didn't want to talk before her parents were gone and Thai Go was empty. Sasha probably got that because an aura of silence suddenly arose, only disrupted by the sounds in the kitchen. A few minutes later her mother brought Sasha her dish and another drink for her.

"Here you go, Sasha, I hope you like it, dear," she said affectionately. "And here another drink for you, Anne. I guess you two will sit here for a while longer."

"Thanks, mom."

"Thank you, Mrs. Boonchuy. How much is it?"

Anne's mother waived dismissively. "Oh no, it's on the house this time. It's so nice to see you again. Just wash the rest of the dishes when you two are done eating, alright?"

Sasha smiled. "Thanks again. In that case I'll leave a nice tip though. I insist."

"Ah, that is okay I guess." Her mother laughed and looked at Anne. "Everything okay, honey? Put the key in the drawer at home, alright?"

"Will do, mom." Her mother knew that something was bothering Anne, but they had compromised on Anne telling her what bothered her whenever she was ready, as usual. Anne appreciated this kind of trust. She managed a genuine smile. "I'll be home soon."

"No fighting robots while eating, okay?"

"Mom!"

Sasha snickered. "Don't worry, Mrs. Boonchuy, I'll keep her out of trouble."

Anne's eyebrow twitched. "You? Keeping me out of trouble? Oh, that's rich ..."

Her mother smiled and ruffled Anne's hair. Normally that would have annoyed her, being no child anymore, but she was too tired today to even get mad. "Be nice, you two," she ordered. "Bee and I will go now. Nice seeing you again, Sasha."

"You too, Mrs. Boonchuy. Have a nice evening."

A few minutes later the doors closed and her parents were gone. Sasha was still eating and Anne was fine with that. She knew that avoiding this conversation would be childish, but that didn't mean she was bothered by a few more minutes of silence. It wasn't really fair, she knew that. Sasha only wanted to help. The problem was that Anne didn't even know where they should start. The whole situation with Marcy was just … a mess. She didn't even know WHY it had escalated like this.

"Aaaah, still as good as ever," Sasha concluded, pushing the plate away from her and licking her lips. "I need to order from here more often."

"Why are you here?" Anne asked. She was getting annoyed and wanted this to be over as soon as possible.

Sasha tilted her head slightly and her glance became focused, her smile vanishing. "Getting straight to the point, hmm?" she noticed. "Okay. How are you doing, Anne?"

Anne blinked. "Huh?" That had not been the question she had expected.

"How are you doing?" Sasha repeated patiently. "You told Marcy you'd talk to her after her … confession, and then you were gone in the morning. We haven't heard from you in three days. I was getting a little worried." She leaned closer. At first Anne had thought that Sasha wanted to unbalance her, setting her up for a joke … but there was actual empathy in her eyes. "How are you feeling, Anne?"

"I … why ..." Anne stuttered. "I thought you were here to talk about Marcy?"

"I am," her friend confirmed. "But can't I also be concerned for you?"

"I'm f..." Anne sighed and closed her eyes. "How is she?" she asked, her voice very silent.

Sasha paused for a moment, then she leaned back. "Not very well," she admitted. "You know Marcy – she tends to overreact quite a bit, even after all those years. And now, in this stressful situation with her parents, after her accidentally blurting out her private fantasies to you … you vanished." She took a sip. "I'm trying to calm her down, Anne, but she has nearly convinced herself that she has destroyed your friendship for good."

"Damn." Anne buried her face in her hands.

"I'm trying my best, but the only one who can really help her is you. That's why I'm here." Anne's wrists were getting grabbed and moved apart. Sasha's face very VERY close … and her voice was so goddamn soft. "That … and because I swore to myself long ago that I'd make up for all the shit I put you through when we were young. That if you ever needed someone I'd be there for you no matter what. And I think that is the case now."

Anne snorted. "I've forgiven you," she reminded the blonde. "All of it is in the past. You don't need to prove anything … All I ever wanted was us being on the same page."

"Us being equals," Sasha clarified, letting go of her wrists. "That's the difference between us, Anne. You think we are. I think I still owe you." Her stare was drilling into Anne's eyes. "And I will keep waiting for opportunities to help you."

This time it was Anne who leaned back. She also looked up to the ceiling, mainly to escape Sasha's stare. "How do you react to something like that, Sasha?" she wondered, addressing Sasha and the universe (you watching, Guardian?) in equal parts. "I mean, she told you what happened … right? How can I talk to Marcy if I have no clue how I feel about this myself? And why I just ran away?"

"Kinda hard to get this stuff out of your head again once it's inside, isn't it?" There was only the tiniest amount of amusement in Sasha's voice, otherwise Anne would have flipped probably … at least the table, maybe in general. "Yeah, she told me. Wasn't easy either. She was quite reluctant to tell me after she realized that you were gone. Understandable, considering what happened between the two of you."

Anne lowered her head, scowling at the other woman. "Didn't you want to help me? I'm not sure how making me feel worse will do that."

"I'm sorry," Sasha asserted. Anne could feel the blonde become serious. Was this how Sasha did her job? By using the battle instincts she had gained in Amphibia to look for weak points in her patient's composure and then confronting them head-on? "I'd like to ask you some questions. Maybe they'll help you gain some clarity."

Anne shrugged. She had nothing to lose and Sasha wouldn't just leave. "Shoot."

"Okay." Sasha paused for a moment, probably collecting her thoughts. "First I'd like to know, do you think it bothered you in general that someone pictured you while jerking off ..." Anne flinched, "... or was it so bad because it was Marcy?"

Anne felt her face getting warmer. "Sheesh. Do you ask your normal patients these kinds of questions too?" she mumbled.

"Not usually, no," Sasha answered. "And you are dodging, Anne. Please answer. I think you want to solve this too, don't you? Would you have been as bothered as you're now if, let's say, a colleague of yours had been fantasizing about you?"

Anne pondered for a moment, pictures of her colleagues flashing though her mind. Sasha was right, but … that didn't make this any less embarrassing. "I … wouldn't be thrilled if it was a colleague," she mumbled at last. "Would be awkward as hell."

"But it shocked you because it was Marcy," Sasha continued and nodded. At least she too looked a bit uncomfortable. "Alright … and do you think that is because you still think of Marcy as being very innocent, or did it rather feel … like a betrayal?" Sasha paused, looking at her concerned. Anne of course knew why. Betrayals had been a very dark, hurtful part of their experiences in Amphibia … especially the betrayals between them, being childhood friends. They had found it in themselves to forgive each other … but it had not always been easy. "Like Marcy did something you would never have expected her to do?"

Anne closed her eyes, rubbing her nose. She was getting more and more agitated, but she controlled herself. She trusted Sasha that all of these questions would lead somewhere. "I … think it's the latter," she answered. "I know Marcy is a grown-up … yeah, I would have been embarrassed if she had told us about her … private thoughts, but not for long. I'm not sure if betrayal is the right word, but I would have never thought she'd bring … US into it."

Sasha hummed. When she looked up again, there was a touch of insecurity on her normally very confident expression. "Anne … I swear I am not trying to provoke you, but have ..." She inhaled deeply. "... have YOU ever thought of us in this way?"

Anne's eyes shot open. She put her hands firmly on the table and gritted her teeth. "SASHA!" she hissed.

Sasha held up her hands in a way was supposed to be calming. It wasn't. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the blonde said quickly. "I guess you haven't. It's just … I wouldn't have minded."

That somehow short-circuited Anne's brain. "Huh?"

"Let me clarify," Sasha continued, obviously relieved. "I think I would have been weirded out at first … but then I would have been flattered, I think."

"Flattered?" Anne just stared at her friend in disbelieve. She had wrestled with her feelings since Marcy's confession and now Sasha was telling her that this wouldn't have been a big deal for her?

Sasha tilted her head. "You know I'm bi, Anne," she reminded her friend. "Is it really so hard to believe that I would find you attractive? That I would fantasize about you from time to time?"

"Did you?" Her own voice sounded weak in Anne's ears.

"You look upset, Anne," Sasha noticed. For a moment it looked like she wanted to put one of her hands on Anne's, but she changed her mind. "Do you really want to know?"

Did she? She wasn't sure. Anne swallowed. She had found out about an aspect of her friends' personalities she had never imagined … or rather had never ALLOWED herself to imagine. And truth be told, she was not even sure why the thought of Marcy and maybe Sasha pleasuring themselves while thinking about her bothered her THAT much. Sure, there was a certain icky factor somewhere, but … "Please."

"Yes, I did, Anne." Sasha watched her and when Anne didn't blow up, she nodded and continued: "It started soon after Amphibia … with all the intense feelings we had felt over there and how much we cherished us being together again as long as Marcy was still here. I began to imagine how kissing you would feel like. Then being together. And after a while … yes, I began to imagine what would happen if we didn't stop kissing. They are fantasies, Anne. They don't hurt anyone, as long as we don't act on them, and they come unbidden." She paused. "But maybe you think differently."

"I ..." Anne fold her arms, put them on the table and hid her face between them. "How do I get past this, Sash? I feel childish that I feel so strongly about something that is so trivial for you … and I don't want to stay away from you again. What should I do?"

"It's not childish, Anne," Sasha assured her. Anne could feel Sasha's hand softly caressing her hair. She felt like crying, but she didn't want her friend to see it. Which was stupid since Sasha had seen her cry before, but this whole situation suddenly seemed stupid. Too stupid to warrant this kind of reaction. "It's not childish if it hurts you. Or Marcy. But I think we have a clearer picture now. Would you … allow me one more question?"

A part of Anne didn't want to … but a larger part WANTED to understand how she could work around this. She sighed and lifted her head again, looking at Sasha. She simply nodded.

"Let's set sexual fantasies aside," Sasha offered. "Well, explicit ones. But have you ever imagined kissing me or Marcy, Anne?"

Anne blushed, but this time the answer was unambiguous. "Yes," she confirmed.

"There is nothing wrong with that, Anne," Sasha affirmed. This time she did grab Anne's hand and she smiled at her. "I'm very sure that Marcy doesn't mind. And as said, I'm flattered that you find me attractive. Fantasies like these help us define our sexual orientation. Sure, some of them go farther than other people are comfortable with, and that kinda seems to be our problem here." Sasha stood up, put her chair next to Anne, sat down again and grabbed Anne's hands, both of them this time. "You had a specific picture of me and Marcy in your head, Anne. The picture of a strong, flawless platonic friendship I imagine. And now you have learned something new about us. Something that … isn't flawless." It was just a gentle squeeze on her hands, but it nearly made Anne flinch. "You have to decide … can you accept this new, bigger picture of us? Accept that even after our big bonding adventure there are aspects of Marcy and me which may somehow bother you? Or does it bother you too much? So much that even all of the great moments in our friendship can't make up for it?" A small pause in which Anne swallowed. "Cause if the latter is the case … my advice would be to stay away from us, at least for a while. I don't want this, Anne. I think we are stronger than that. And it would crush Marcy, I think." Anne felt Sasha's hand leave hers and caress her cheek. "But it's also important how you feel. Forcing yourself to do something that you want no part of … has that ever turned out well for us?"

This time Anne could feel the tears forming in her eyes. She took a deep breath and closed them. She had fought the woman in front of her in a duel that had at that time shattered their friendship, though fortunately not permanently. That had been a good reason to cry. She had fought a whole moon to save her friends. That had been a good reason to shed some tears. She had said farewell to her adoptive family. By Frog, that had been a great reason to cry her heart out! She refused to believe that this situation was in the same weight class as these. She was no teenager anymore!

"I don't want to feel like this." Her voice quivered only slightly. "I don't want to hurt Marcy, Sasha. What can I do?"

"You are doing quite well, Anne," Sasha reassured her. "We have been through much worse, haven't we? Together. And I'm not going anywhere now either."

Anne felt that Sasha wanted to pull her hand back, and in an impulsive move she caught it mid-air and pressed it against her cheek again. Sasha was probably surprised, but she didn't try to wiggle out of her firm grip. Anne stayed like this for a few moments, trying to soak up all of Sasha's warmth and acceptance, hoping that they would squish these idiotic fears inside of her. Then however she felt a bit embarrassed and let her friend's hand go. She nervously played with her hair. "I'm sorry, Sash," she mumbled. "I overre..." Then she felt Sasha's finger close her lips.

"Don't," Sasha demanded. "I told you, Anne, being able to help you makes me glad. I have a feeling that there's a bit more to talk about, your reaction to Marcy' confession WAS a bit … intense. But I think we should stop here today," she said. She looked into Anne's eyes, as if she was searching for something there. "Do you feel a bit better?"

"I do," Anne admitted. When Sasha's finger left her lips she had to resist the urge to lick them. She did not want to think about what that meant right now. Instead she looked at Sasha and remembered how she had been ten years ago … brash, controlling, at times violent … now these characteristics were dampened by self-discipline and empathy, letting her virtues, mainly determination and a fierce protective spirit, shine though brighter. There was no denying, she was in awe of this mature Sasha. "Thank you," she finally said softly, showing the other woman an honest smile. "I'm amazed how much you've grown since Amphibia, have I told you that?"

Sasha returned the smile and smoothed her hair back a bit cockily. "Not lately. And I won't get tired of hearing it anytime soon. I'm awesome after all."

Anne chuckled. "I … guess I should call Marcy, shouldn't I?"

"Yes, you should."

"But … what should I say, Sash?" she asked, looking at the other woman pleadingly. "I definitely feel better, but … what can I say to help HER?"

Sasha leaned back, staring at her crossed fingers for a moment. "First you should apologize for vanishing like that and not returning any calls." She nodded. "Yes, that's definitely the most important thing. After that ..." she shrugged, directing her glance toward Anne again. "I'd simply tell her the truth, as much as possible. That you were a bit shocked, and need a little more time to sort out your feelings. But that you aren't mad at her and you two still are and will continue to be friends." She raised an eyebrow. "If that's still the case, that is. If not, than that would shock ME."

"It is," Anne confirmed. She felt quite silly right now. Only a few days ago she had been thinking about how much she valued the friendship with these two, and here she had been, endangering it herself. Some heart of the group she was. "I … you are right."

"You don't need to tell her that you'll see her immediately," Sasha continued, trying to make it easier for her still. "That's not what she is waiting for. But she needs to know that you still care about her. I can help her deal with the rest of the emotional baggage until you feel it's okay to visit again. She needs us both, Anne … but only if you feel comfortable too."

"I think I want to visit as soon as possible," Anne remarked, and to her delight this sentence didn't feel like a lie. She WANTED to see Marcy again. She even felt JOY at the prospect of apologizing in person and leaving all of this behind. "But it's true, a few more days of really reflecting on all of this is probably wise."

"Great. Gotta tell you, this talk went better than I thought," Sasha admitted. She grinned awkwardly, a true rarity on Sasha's face. "Part of me feared I'd walk out of here with another scar."

Anne laughed. "That might help you with your other patients though," she offered. "Would make you look even more badass." She became serious again. "But there has been enough fighting between us."

"Heck yes," Sasha agreed and stood up. "I'm glad that's over. Now, how about I give you a lift?" She offered her hand.

Anne took it and stood up as well. "Gladly. However ..." She pointed at their plates, a look somewhere between innocence and smugness on her face. "You promised mom to do the dishes before we go."

Sasha grimaced. "Damn. I hoped you'd forget ..."

"No chance, girl," Anne declared, taking the plates into the kitchen. "Come on, Commander, it will only take a minute. And by the way, if mom ever even considered having an affair, she'd never choose someone who doesn't do the dishes." She smirked when she heard "That's what I get for helping you ..." being uttered behind her, but then Sasha followed her into the kitchen.

"So you really don't plan to get your own place soon?" Sasha asked Anne while her friend was locking the door behind them. "Can't say I blame you. If my parents were like yours, I'd have waited with feeding the rent monster too. At least for a while."

"I'm saving up," Anne explained, turning the key. "One day I WILL move out. But we get along fine, especially after Amphibia, so no rush. You know what, if you lend me a sword I'll help you slay the rent monster then. I'm pretty sure I saw both of them hanging in your bedroom." She grinned. "Interesting choice by the way. Did any of your dates ever comment on them? Mainly the male dates?"

Sasha returned the grin and started walking towards the red car. She felt relieved that Anne felt well enough again for their usual banter, although she had not called Marcy yet. She probably wanted to wait until she was in her room. "Are you seriously asking a psychiatrist about the meaning of phallic symbols in sleeping quarters?" she inquired. "And thanks, but I fear the rent monster is invincible, unless we get our powers back."

"We could always ask Marcy for some JRPG battle tactics," Anne proposed, following her. "I'll give her a call as soon as I'm home by the way, I promise. And you've got a really nice ride, I don't think I told you that last time," Anne complimented as she opened the door and let herself sink into the car seat.

"Eh, it's alright," Sasha replied, getting into the driver's seat. "Marcy said the same thing."

"About JRPG battle tactics?"

Sasha raised an eyebrow and darted a glance at the sassy woman next to her. "I'm glad you're able to joke around again, Boonchuy," she warned her friend, her voice being playful though. "But I can still leave you and that smart mouth of yours here."

Anne shrugged. Then she seemed to remember something. "Sasha," she began. "Can I ask you something?"

"That's only fair," Sasha commented. "You've answered some of mine after all. What's up?" She tried to put the key into the ignition, but Anne put her hand on hers and pushed it down. She shot the her friend a perplexed glance.

"It's about you and Marcy."

Ah. That was probably not a topic for casual conversation while driving, alright. "Sure," she agreed. She positioned herself in a way that she wouldn't get neck pain for looking at Anne. The Thai woman didn't look uncomfortable due to frustration and helplessness like inside, thank frog, but she also seemed to have become more serious than a moment ago, looking at her hands, not at Sasha, right now. "Ask away."

"Have you … thought about it yet?" Anne wanted to know. "You know, about how to continue with her when she and her parents make up. I'm just curious."

That was a big question. "I haven't really thought about it," Sasha confessed. "I've actually avoided it. It was just this one moment … and I really fucked that up." She sighed, feeling the shame bubble up inside of her again. Horny or not, protective or not, unique chemistry between them or not, it just hadn't been RIGHT to kiss Marcy right after her traumatic nightmare. Marcy hadn't blamed her at all, which had reminded her of Anne coming back to Amphibia after Andrias' betrayal, another occasion that had left her feeling guilty. She was glad that her and Marbles had come to an agreement without any more melodrama. "And it would be different with her than with other people."

She thought of her ex-es. Sometimes breaking up had been quite easy, sometimes it had been harder, and once it had actually been painful for a long time … but in the end they hadn't been people who had known her all her life, who had shared childhood, school life, dangerous adventures, betrayals, near-death experiences, broken, regrown and strengthened friendships, losing sight of each other and finding each other again with her. It wasn't really fair to compare her ex-es to them, but Anne and Marcy had always held a special, permanent place in her heart, more than ever after their big adventure. Which made … this easier and harder at the same time. "I mean … what if her parents find out? And what if it doesn't work out in the end? You know how hard it can be to get over a failed relationship … and the better you know the person the worse it usually is."

"I get it," Anne assured her. "But you can't just forget it either, right? How did you describe it ... kinda hard to get this stuff out of your head again once it's inside?"

"Using my own words against me, eh Boonchuy?" Sasha commented dryly. "Not fair. But … yeah. I try my best to be supportive and stay professional right now. But she seems different to me now sometimes." She scowled when she caught the slightly amused expression on Anne's face. "Shut it, Anne! This isn't some romcom and shit! It's ..." She struggled to find the right words. She wanted this teasing smirk gone from Anne's face, but she would do this with words, not fists. Or swords. "Sometimes she's just good ol' Mar-Mar, you know? Excitable, a bit clumsy – she's cracked a cup and got a fork stuck in the toaster so far –, really good to relax around when you listen to her babbling on and on about a game you've never heard about. Then she is hit by the situation again and get's sad ... I usually try to comfort her and also try to build up her confidence, but it's hard to figure out what works best at any time with her." She scratched her head. "And sometimes … she acts real mature. I know, I know, it's Marcy, but she can make really good plans. Do you know that she managed an eco group once, and for months? And we did discuss the pros and cons her getting into programming in detail … she'd be smart enough, it's just her attention span and the crunch ..." Sasha hesitated. Anne was still watching her. But this last part … "And sometimes … I'm not sure if she is flirting with me," she finally mumbled.

Anne blinked. "Wait. Flirting? OUR Marbles?"

"Sounds crazy, doesn't it?" Sasha put her hands behind her head and stared at the steering wheel. "And maybe I am imagining all of it. It's just … there are those times when she comes out of the bathroom, sees me and … shakes her head, sends her hair flying, asking me if I like it. Or when I'm on the couch and read something and suddenly she hugs me from behind and shows me the latest chapter of her web comic, her mouth really close to my ear ..." Sasha swallowed. "Which COULD just be her being oblivious and excited, right? Or when she suddenly snuggles up to me, thanking me for taking her in, and I'm not sure if she's really just thankful, lonely or if it's an excuse to touch me." She shook her head. "It's frustrating that she is so hard to read," she admitted.

"Maybe that is because you know her TOO well."

"Yeah, I think so," she agreed with Anne. She chuckled and looked at Anne. "It's really unfair, you know? You get your psych degree and then you find out that your closest friends are still a big mystery to you."

And smiled and patted her arm. "Oooh, poor Sasha, suddenly being as clueless as the rest of us," she mocked. "Still … I think she is lucky that she has you. I know you feel bad about the kiss, but you care about her feelings and I know you'll respect her wishes."

"M-hm," Sasha agreed. It always felt good to hear such encouraging words from Anne … someone she hadn't exactly treated well for years. Still, it didn't make the situation with Marcy any easier …

"I think you should do it though."

Sasha blinked. "Huh?"

Anne was looking away right now and her fingers were twitching nervously. "You know … take Marcy on a date. Not now of course … but when the situation with her parents is better. Like, when she has a stable part-time job and her dad isn't angry anymore and it's not just her and her mom talking. And if you still have feelings and doubts then ..." Anne inhaled deeply. "Why not try to get rid of the doubts?"

Sasha was stunned for a moment. Had her best friend really just encouraged her to date their other best friend? "But what if it goes wrong?"

"Do you really think it would be a bad break-up?" Anne inquired, now looking at her again. Why was SHE suddenly the one who was looking confident and Sasha herself was all nervous? "I mean, can you even imagine you and Marcy fighting and being angry at each other? … Oh, well, I mean today, not back then," she hastily added, obviously having just remembered Darcy. "Seriously though, we've been through so much together, don't you think an amicable break-up and going back to being friends is way more likely? And also … if Marcy moves back and we stay in contact this time … wouldn't you then always wonder what could have been?"

That … was a good point. Constant uncertainty wouldn't be as bad as a ruined relationship … but still annoying. And Anne was right, the chances of a few dates between her and Marcy fucking up their long friendship beyond repair were slim to none. It might even be a pleasant experience for both of them, even if nothing ever came of it. Still it would be a big step. "You really think that's a good idea?"

"I don't know." Anne put her hand on hers. "But you really helped me with my insecurities … I'm trying to repay the favor." Anne lifted their hands and gave Sasha's a hefty squeeze. "I've got your back, Commander."

That made Sasha smile. "Thanks, partner. I'll think about it." She put her hands on the steering wheel. "But now it's time to get you home. Do you think there's a chance for a movie marathon anytime soon after you and Marcy have made up?" She grinned cheekily. "I promise I'll bind and gag her so she won't shock us with another disturbing fetish."

Anne hit her shoulder hard. "You'll do no such thing, Waybright!" she ordered. "Pervert!"

Sasha laughed and started the engine. The future looked brighter already.