Author's Note: For me, the hardest part about writing good fanfics is getting dialogue and emotions right. Emotions are very powerful tools, and can be very effective when used correctly. If a writer can make the readers feel what the characters are feeling, then the writer has done a good job. Why do I say that? Read this chapter and you might understand.
"We are just friends."
Pyrrha's words had felt like a series of stabs straight into Nora's very soul, each one being more painful than the other.
Sobbing and wheezing, she clumsily navigated her way past multiple people within the nightclub, bumping into a few of them. Her own tears blinded her, forming a blurry tunnel vision colored by the disco lights. She did not know where she was going, only that she needed to go as far as away from Pyrrha as possible.
I don't wanna be here anymore! I wish you were here, Ren! Why couldn't you go with me?! I need you!
As she stepped out through a door, Nora was too upset to notice how the music volume dropped behind her, the warm and stuffy air suddenly feeling fresher and slightly colder. She stopped as she walked up to a balcony railing. She had come for fun and relaxation, to earn herself a respite from all the negative emotions that had been brought up by the unexpected and dramatic return of her mother. Instead, she had ended up more miserable than ever before.
"There's nothing romantic between us…"
On top of everything, Pyrrha, the girl she believed to be 'the one', did not share her feelings. Ren held a special place in Nora's heart, but not even he could compare to how much she loved Pyrrha. Her passionate dream to be Pyrrha's lover and share a life together had been utterly crushed.
Losing herself to the rising anger, Nora slammed her forehead into a nearby wall, her Aura flashing and protecting her from any concussion. She did so again and again, hoping to knock herself out. She would gladly choose unconsciousness than spend another waking second with the excruciating agony of her broken heart. Rearing her fist back, she struck the wall with such force she put a small crack in it. She let out a heartwreching wail, her hands clawing her scalp and tearing at her orange hair.
She was angry with Pyrrha for not having understood all that subtle affection she had shown her the past couple of months. Yet, Nora was furious at herself for having believed that Pyrrha would love her.
Why would she love me? Why would anyone love me? I don't even love myself!
Despite having dependable and caring friends, Nora felt lonely. Was there anyone who loved her? She could not find any passionate feelings for her childhood friend, Ren, no matter how much she desperately wanted to. Even if she did, it would not matter, for Ren had admitted to her two years ago that he loved her very much, but only as a friend.
I feel so ALONE! My own mom abandoned me because I was a mistake! Ren sees me only as a friend! It's only a matter of time before dad disowns me, too!
Pyrrha's guess that Nora had gone out to one of the club's balconies proved to be correct, as she stepped out and saw her standing by the railing, looking out at the street below. Nora did not seem to react to the sound of the balcony door opening and closing behind her. Pyrrha took a deep breath of fresh air, her ears appreciating the respite away from the loud music.
"Nora, what happened back there? Why did you become so upset? Was it something Yang and Ruby said?" Pyrrha's questions received nothing but silence and stillness. "I'm sure they didn't mean to offend you. Come back in so that they can explain and apologize. We all came here to have fun, right? Don't let a harmless misunderstanding ruin the evening for you."
Pyrrha waited for her to say or do anything, show any kind of response that she was at least listening to her. Each passing second felt like an eternity. "Please, speak to me. You're scaring me," she pleaded, her voice laced with worry. She felt like a lost ghost, desperately trying to communicate with the living that could neither see nor hear her. She walked up to Nora and placed her hand gently on her shoulder. "Nor-"
Nora finally reacted and broke her passiveness, but not the way Pyrrha had hoped. As soon as the hand touched the shoulder, Nora grunted and slapped it away as if a Rapier Wasp had landed on her. She took a couple of quick and long steps away from Pyrrha, huffing and resuming her stillness.
Pyrrha looked down at her hand in disbelief. She… slapped me? She did not want to believe it, but the mild, stinging sensation in her hand spoke for itself. The physical pain was nothing compared to how hurt Pyrrha's feelings felt.
She wanted to calm Nora down, and learn why she was behaving so strangely. But, her friend was being volatile, an emotional bomb that could go off from the slightest touch or the wrong words. There was only one last thing she could do for her, for now.
"If you don't want to talk about it… I'll respect that and leave you be," said Pyrrha reluctantly, only barely being able to mask the sadness in her voice. She did not intend to really leave. Instead, she planned to wait on the other side of the door to give Nora a couple of moments to calm down before trying to talk to her again. Worst case scenario, she would have to talk to her tomorrow instead. She hoped not. She wanted to why she was upset, what she had done wrong.
As Pyrrha turned around toward the balcony door, she craned her neck and looked back at Nora. Please tell me that you want me to stay… To her disappointment, Nora did not do so.
Pyrrha sighed sadly, wanting Nora to hear her do so. "I… I truly care about you. It pains me to see you like this. But, it pains me even more when you won't talk to me," said Pyrrha gloomily.
Just as she reached for the door handle, Nora's low grumble broke the silence behind her. "Harmless misunderstanding? Is that what you think it's all about?" Pyrrha turned around and said nothing as she waited for Nora to continue and elaborate. She saw Nora fidget, shifting her feet uneasily, her small hands gripping and releasing the railing repeatedly. "Do you know what it's like... to listen to your own daddy ranting about what he hates the most in this world? That you are what he hates, except he doesn't know it yet?"
"What… what are you talking about?" asked a confused Pyrrha while she thought hard to understand what Nora's father had to do with what happened inside the club. She could not find any connection at all.
"I wasn't the only one my mom abandoned. Daddy was hardly more ready to be a parent than she was, but he stood his ground. When she dumped him and ran off with some chick… he was devastated by sadness and anger. His anger changed him, made him hateful." Nora walked slowly away from the railing, fiddling her fingers. "When daddy finds out what I am, he's gonna disown me! Cut off all contact with me forever!" she gabbled, her voice becoming increasingly hysterical. "I won't even be allowed to come back home! How can he do that to his own daughter?! Where am I supposed to go after I graduate from Beacon?!"
Sensing an impending, emotional breakdown from Nora, Pyrrha did not hesitate to step up to her and put her hands on her shoulders again, this time without any violent reactions. "Nora! Calm down!" she urged, raising her voice slightly to get her attention. "You're not making any sense." She wondered if Nora's emotional rambling was partially because of the alcohol, but she did not dare to mention that, with fear that Nora might take it the wrong way and get even more upset. "Why would your own father ever hate you? From what you've told me, he's a good man."
Nora turned around and looked up at her with red and puffy eyes. "Even good fathers have theirs flaws, Pyrrha! Mine's a stinking homophobe!" she spat out, stomping her feet and balling her fists. "He thinks homosexuality is a disease created by the Grimm to help eradicate us!"
Pyrrha was shocked silent as Nora revealed more of her tragic past and upbringing. It made her think about something: If her father is a homophobe… then why would he ever hate her? She could only think of one answer, and she was not sure if she was willing to say it. "Are you… are you saying he will hate you because you're-"
"Because I'm gay!" interrupted Nora loudly, her voice on the verge of breaking. A new wave of tears fell from her eyes. Her body tensed up and quivered from the sadness and anger stirring within her. Pyrrha thought her dear friend looked so fragile that even a weak draft would shatter her.
"I… I didn't know," whispered Pyrrha, wishing she could say more. She felt her hands tighten their grips on Nora's shoulders. All this time I thought she was straight. She even said she had kissed Ren two times.
Nora sniffled and wiped her eyes, yet more tears quickly fell. "No one does, except for Ren, and now you. It's a secret I've been forced to keep hidden for years."
"Why are you telling me that you're gay? Why now of all times?" asked Pyrrha, still struggling to comprehend everything. Nora's revelation stirred, and changed her perspective of her in the blink of an eye.
Nora took both of Pyrrha's hands, squeezing them gently while looking into her eyes. She did her best to smile warmly despite the emotional turmoil within her. "I… I love you, Pyrrha." Though her voice was a mere whisper, her few words packed honesty and compassion.
As Nora declared her love, an epiphany struck Pyrrha like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky. Many of Nora's actions and words the past few weeks began to make perfect sense to her. Her mind phased out from the present as she vividly recalled the moments where Nora had kissed her, cuddled with her, groped her, and more.
She did all of that… because she loves… me.
Pyrrha believed she now knew why Nora had become so upset inside the nightclub. Nora must have misinterpreted her, believing that she had similar feelings for her. When Pyrrha had said that there was nothing romantic between them, she had unwittingly shattered Nora's heart.
Oh no… what I have done. Pyrrha felt guilty and ashamed for having done so, especially while Nora was trying to reconcile with her estranged mother. How was I supposed to know that her affection to me was so real?
"Nora, I …I don't know what to say. I don't have any answers," whispered Pyrrha hesitantly. Instead of happiness, she felt only confusion and doubt.
She had dreamed of the moment where someone dear to her would declare their love to her. Someone who loved her for who she was, and not because she was a renowned champion, a celebrity, a well-known face on a cereal box. This, however, was not how I had imagined it to be. Instead of a handsome and friendly guy who dated her, it was instead her friend and teammate, Nora. A girl, just like me.
Nora sighed sadly and looked away, disappointment lingering upon her face. "You gotta make up your mind, damn it! You're torturing me here! I need to know if there can be anything between us!" she said demandingly.
Pyrrha blinked, and let out a stifled grunt. "You can't expect me to give it to you just like that all of a sudden!" she protested, raising her voice a bit. Realizing that she needed to compose herself, she took a deep breath. "This is… this is all so new and sudden for me. I need more time."
Nora nodded slowly and wiped her eyes again, her tears starting to subside. "I understand. I know it won't be easy." She gave Pyrrha's hand one last squeeze before she let go of her and walked over to the door. "I'm gonna go back to Beacon. I'm sorry for ruining the day, for both of us. I didn't mean to. Bye, Pyrrha." With that said, she left the balcony, leaving Pyrrha alone.
Pyrrha felt petrified, even a bit dizzy. She slowly moved over to the railing to prevent herself from collapsing. The strength in her knees began to fade, causing her to sit down and lean against the railing. She put her legs up, and wrapped her arms around them. A single question screamed within her head, demanding an answer.
Do I love Nora?
End of chapter 14
Author's Note: So, what did you think? Not the kind of love confession that Nora was hoping for. Feel free to leave reviews about your thoughts, reactions and expectations. Sorry about the chapter being short.
Also, I want to say that the story about Pyrrha's fear of drowning has not been forgotten. Her fight against it will continue again soon.