Chapter Text
The boxes of the take out Chinese food were scatter across the floor, interwoven with cords and open cases of games. With Kanaya gone, neither Rose nor Vriska felt the need to cook or clean. That is, not until the last second, so she didn’t think they were complete slobs. Just mostly slobs. They had hours left to until Kanaya’s return, for, between the drive and the nature of a Maryam dinner, she was not due back from her mother’s till much later that night.
“You hate this game! How, no! Stop! Stop stealing my tags! Your not suppose to be good at this game!” Vriska smashed the buttons of her controller, trying to make SICK COMBOS.
“That’s what you get for choosing Tony Hawk: Underground. If we had played what I wanted to, then you wouldn’t be loosing.” Another ramp changed from blue to red as Rose continued to steal Vriska’s ‘tagged’ area.
“Its like you aren’t even trying, busting weak tricks that I can easily out do. No wonder I’m winning.”
“Did you just say busting weak tricks,” Vriska stopped playing long enough to stare open mouth at her partner, “Weak tricks? Busting?”
She tried to continue playing, she really did, but the tears in her eyes from laughter was making it more and more difficult. Eventually she dropped her controller and slid off the couch to lay on the floor crippled with cackling.
“Looks like stick-up-her-butt-Lalonde is getting hip with the slang!”
“Homeslice, I am going to KO you so hard. Boom. Headshot. Something about having sex with your mother. Insert other banter here.” The crude expressions did not fit the her dry and carefully annunciated manner of speech, making Vriska laugh so hard that she could only shake on the floor.
“Please,” weeze, “stop,” weeze, “I can’t,” gasping for breath, “I can’t breath.”
“Game’s done. You lost, by the way. Guess you have to clean up tonight.”
To caught up in their play-fighting, neither of them noticed the door open and close, noticed Kanaya standing in the entrance of the living room. She stood there, shoulders hunched, arms wrapped around herself, not saying a word. It was only when Vriska could finally wipe the tears from her eyes and push herself up into a sitting position that she became aware of the silent figure curled into itself.
“Kanaya!” Excitement, because when was she not excited to see her. “Kanaya?” Confusion, she was home hours early. “Kanaya, are you ok?” Something wasn’t right, she couldn’t remember the last time she saw the tall, almost regal woman, looked so small. Or the last time that she had worried her sleeves between her fingers like that. No, something was most definitely not right.
She wasn’t the only one to realize something was wrong, in those few moments since the initial greeting, Rose had rushed to Kanaya’s side, hands on her shoulders, trying to make eye contact, but couldn’t.
“Whats wrong? Kanaya, please look at me. You’re scaring me.”
By then Vriska was at their side, looking frantically from one to the other, not sure what to do. When was the last time that she had to comfort the matriarch of their threesome?
In a quiet voice, so different from the usual carefully enunciated way she talked, she managed to say, “Karkat’s in the hospital.”
Dead silence for a second. Two seconds. Vriska cleared her suddenly very dry throat, “What happened?”
“Crash,” was all she said before slumping over the much shorter Rose, resting her head on the much shorter woman’s shoulder. She wasn’t crying, wasn’t even shaking. Rose rubbed circles into her back, mouthing TEA frantically to Vriska who was barely holding back her panic.
“Uh, yes! TEA. I’m, I’m going to get you some tea. Be right back.” Once the kettle was on, she watched Kanaya clutch Rose to her.
Try as she might, Rose couldn’t get Kanaya to move to the couch. Not by cajoling, or carful tugs on her hands and clothing. It was as if she was bolted to the ground, ready to collapse without the support of someone else. Nonetheless, Rose kept up a constant murmur of, “just come to the couch, you’ll feel better if you are sitting, he’ll be ok,” not sure of what else to say.
Eventually, Kanaya raised her head enough to finally look Rose in the eye. “Rose. Just hold me.” Her eyes were dry, but dark rivers on her cheeks showing where her mascara had run. “Just tell me that everything is going to be ok.”
“Of course it will. We’ll call the hospital. Everything is going to be ok.” What else could she do than parrot Kanaya’s words. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her back, looking up she saw that it was Vriska, jerking her head to the couch where the tea was steaming. Rose gave a small shake of her head. Vriska glared back.
“Ok. It’s up time. C’mere Maryam.” Somehow, she disentangled Rose from clenching, grasping arms, transferring them to her own shoulders. Then, dipping down to grab her at the knees, she cradled Kanaya in her arms, carrying her the short distance to the couch. Kanaya didn’t protest, just clenched to her closer. Vriska felt wetness dripping down her neck where Kanaya had burrowed her head.
“Maryam. We’re here. You can let go.” But she wouldn’t, no matter how Vriska tried to pull away. Fuck. This was bad.
Eventually, Vriska fell back onto the couch, accepting that Kanaya was simply not going to let her go.
“Soooooooo, um, called all your ‘pointments for the next few days. Canceled them for you. And, ummmmmmmm,” What else was there to say? Kanaya was crying and shaking in her arms, Rose was fluttering around both of them. This wasn’t something that they could fix. All they could do was hope, and try and support Kanaya, neither things they were good at, try as they might.
“Do you want tea? Kanaya?”
“Rose,” Kanaya gave a small sniff, “Shut up. Just hold me.”
Awkwardly, Rose climbed onto the couch, and rubbed her back. Rested her head against the base of her neck, Rose slid her arms around Kanaya’s waist and held her close.
“Everything is going to be ok.”
“Vantas is going to be alright. Never known him to back down.”
And there the three of them sat, curled around one another, on that sturdy couch that supported them through one hard day after another. It was a good couch, and would support them through many more, a cup of steaming tea always near by.