Chapter Text
The walk back to the orphanage from the grocery store is one that Camilla Vodello has done countless times. The orphanage often runs low on food, thanks to the many hungry mouths that they have to feed, so frequent trips to the market is often needed. Milla doesn’t mind, the walk gives her ample time to think, and it’s always such a treat to return to sounds of children gleefully calling her name.
Milla so does enjoys it when the children gather around her, excitedly asking her to sing and play the piano for them; which is she nearly always does. It’s literally her favorite thing to do with the children. The chorus of children singing along with her, their faces beaming is the most precious thing in the world to Milla.
As Milla rounds the corner she notices a large plume of black smoke bellowing into the sky. Milla’s heart drops to her stomach.
The smoke is coming from the direction of the orphanage.
Milla sprints as fast as she can towards the smoke, praying all the while that it’s not what’s she’s dreading. A small part of Milla knows what this is, what will be waiting for her, but in her panic she doesn’t process that thought as she runs.
Milla gasps as she sees the orphanage come into view, the building engulfed in a ragging inferno.
“No, no, no, no,” Milla chants as tears well up in her eyes. “Please! Someone help! Someone please help the children!”
“Milla! Please help us, Milla!”
Milla clutches the sides of her head. She can hear them, she can hear the children cry for her. She can hear her children scream for her help.
“It burns! Help us, Milla! Where are you?”
Milla falls to her knees, clawing at her scalp. There’s nothing she can do, all she can do is watch as the orphanage burn, the children screaming for help inside.
“Why did you abandon us, Milla? It’s all your fault! Where is Milla? Save us, Milla!”
The fire from the orphanage creeps over to Milla and begins to swirl around her. In the fire the ghostly faces of the children that burned alive in the orphanage fire are present. The fire begins to close in on her, threatening to consume her.
“Camilla!” A hand grabs Milla’s shoulder, causing her to jump.
Milla whips her head around and sees that the one who grabbed her is Sasha.
“S-Sasha? What are you—?”
“WHY DID YOU LET US DIE?!” The voices of the dead children screech, their ghostly faces turning demonic.
Milla flitches as she covers her eyes and shuts her eyes. Sasha pulls Milla to her feet and holds her close as he lets loose several psi-blasts, doing little to push back the approaching nightmares and regrets. Milla hides her face in Sasha’s chest as she begins to hyperventilate, causing Panic Attacks to appear.
“Damn it!” Sasha curses as he is able to only pick off a couple of regrets. “I’m completely drained. Come on, Nein! Focus!”
A panic attack sees it’s opportunity to strike, warping around Sasha and Milla before jumping at the two. Time slows down, all Sasha is able to do is cover Milla in an attempt to protect her.
“OH NO YOU DON’T!” A gruff voice exclaims from above. “GERONIMO!”
A torrential downpour of water falls from above, washing away all the nightmares, regrets and panic attacks. Sasha and Milla hold to each other tightly as the water raises above their heads nearly instantly. In the depths of the water, Sasha peeks an eye open. A dark figure with a long tail approaches him and Milla.
“You two okay?” The gruff voice from earlier asks, voice unaffected by the water.
“I’m fine, Morry,” Sasha assures, realizing he can breathe in the water. “But I’m worried about…” Sasha looks down at Milla, who’s quietly sobbing into his chest.
“I know. Me too. Here, let’s bring her somewhere quiet,” Morceau suggests as he approaches Sasha, wrapping his arms around him and Milla, pressing his bare chest close to them.
Morceau swims up towards the water’s surface with Sasha and Milla in tow. The trio break through the water’s surface, revealing that the world has turned into an dark, midnight ocean; a enormous full moon illuminates the area.
Morceau scans the area for any sign of land. He spots a small island covered in pillows not far from their location. As Morceau swims to the island he steals a couple of glances at the two exhausted psychics in his arms. Sasha, who is typically a little hard to read sometimes, looks frustrated. Milla still has her face hidden in Sasha’s chest, but Morceau doesn’t need to see her face to know what’s she’s feeling right now.
The three psychics reach a point where the water is shallow enough for where Sasha stands up in the water and carries Milla to shore. Once Sasha has carried Milla away from the lapping water, he sits down on the sand before setting Milla down beside him
“Are you alright, Milla?” Morceau inquires as he drags himself towards Sasha and Milla.
One look at Milla’s tear ridden face makes Morceau cringe.
“That’s a pretty stupid question, huh? Um, I mean how are you holding up?”
Milla sniffles as she wipes some tears out of her eyes.
“Oh, Morry…Sasha...” Milla sighs, looking to the two men. “I wish you both didn’t have to see that.”
Milla raises her head up to the sky and stares off into the moon. Stray tears still running down her face.
“I was always able to keep my nightmares under control before this,” Milla mumbles. “So why did they…?”
Sasha gently takes Milla’s hand into his own, stroking her knuckles with his thumb.
“Well, you were both pretty exhausted from your missions, remember?” Morceau points out as he takes a seat beside her, his mermaid tail shimmering in the moonlight.
“Nightmares strike the hardest when you’re sleep deprived and stressed,” Sasha nods, adding onto Morceau’s observation. “You’re mental defenses are in a weakened state.”
“Hmm,” Milla hums, still staring off towards the moon. “I see…”
“...Do...do you wanna talk about it?” Morceau asks hesitantly.
“To be honest with you Morry, no. No I do not,” Milla shakes her head.
“...I understand,” Morceau accepts with a heavy breath. “...Have you ever spoken to anyone about it?”
“...Not much, no,” Milla admits.
The trio sit in silence for awhile, none of them ready to speak further. Both Morceau and Sasha move closer to Milla, sitting snuggly next to her on the beach.
“...It’s okay that it’s not okay,” Morceau says, breaking the silence. “And you’re not obligated to talk about it. It’s your right to keep it to yourself. But keeping...all that lock up inside can seriously mess you up. Trust me, I...speak from experience.”
Morceau stares off into the light of the moon, gathering his thoughts.
“I know that you won’t...end up like I did,” Morceau sighs, recalling how he felt just a year ago; being so angry at the world and wanting to make everyone feel the way he did. “You’re so strong. I admire that about you and Sasha. But…”
Milla looks over at Morceau, who begins to fiddle with his thumbs.
“I-I know a pretty good therapist,” Morceau offers. “If you’re interested— and you know, finding a therapist that works for you can be a pain in the ass and a bit of a process. Not to mention that therapy can be pretty harsh sometimes but…” Morceau rambles.
Milla plants a kiss on Morceau’s cheek, causing him to stop his rambling.
“I...can’t fully articulate how much it means to me that you two are here with me right now,” Milla says as she rests a hand over Morceau’s while looking back and forth at her two lovers. “Thank you.”
“Anytime,” Morceau smiles. “...Sasha? You’ve been pretty quiet over there.”
Milla and Morceau both look to their boyfriend, who has been relatively quiet; even for him.
“...I wish I could have done more,” Sasha bemoans. “I couldn’t help you when you needed it—”
“Oh no you don’t!” Morceau barks, jutting a finger at Sasha. “Don’t you dare talk down about yourself, you handsome bitch!”
“But I couldn’t—!”
“BUT NOTHING! You where also drained, Sasha! The fact that you were able to shoot anything is impressive and I will not tolerate you talking bad about yourself!” Morceau rants. “I swear to god, Nein!”
“I agree with Morry,” Milla hums as she fixes her orphanage uniform dress hem. “You where there for me, Sasha. You being there was much better then me being alone, even if you could only do only oh so much.”
“...I suppose...I still wish I could have done more for you, though,” Sasha confesses.
“Actually, there is something that I need from you,” Milla confesses.
“I’m listening,” Sasha nods, waiting for Milla’s request.
“I’m...still a little shaken up,” Milla explains, take a deep breath to try and calm herself down. “So I could really use a hug from both of my boys.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice!” Morceau exclaims as he speedily embraces Milla. “Come on, Sasha! Don’t leave our girl waiting!”
Sasha doesn’t waste anytime following Morceau’s lead as he moves to cradle Milla in his arms, the three of them now in a group hug with Milla in the middle.
“We’ll always be here for you. You got that?” Morceau rhetorically asks as he nuzzles Milla, earning him a small giggle from the woman.
“If you ever need to talk to someone, we’re here,” Sasha hums as he plants a small peck on Milla’s forehead.
Tears begin to fall from Milla’s eyes once more, but this time not from sorrow and pain. No, these tears are from the overwhelming feelings of joy and love she feels for the two men right now.
“I love you both so much,” Milla whispers, her heart feeling so full that it might burst; all the fear and sorrow she once felt leaving with the tide.
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Milla slowly blinks her eyes open as she stirs from her slumber. Her office is dimly lit, the only direct sources of light being Milla’s jellyfish lamps which are set on the lowest setting possible. Morceau and Sasha are both cuddling Milla as they sleep; Sasha snoring quietly while Morceau snores...less quietly, but nothing that Milla would lose sleep over.
Milla smiles down at her boys and plants a kiss on both of their foreheads before drifting back to sleep herself, warm in the arms of her lovers.