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When Nessa finally worked up the scraps of courage needed to knock on the professor’s front door, she already knew how much of a mistake it had been to wear the disguise.
A gut feeling she hadn’t been sure was real had blossomed beautifully; the burning sensation of embarrassment she knew all to well by now was answered by a familiar cordial tone. Maybe that was worse, in a way?
“Nessa, my dear, you look ridiculous.”
“Yeah,” The water type leader answered lamely, wincing slightly at Magnolia’s bluntness. Her own ineptitude in the matter hardly helped things.
Yeah? All I can say is ‘yeah’? Pull yourself together, Nessa.
“Travelling under the radar isn’t easy when you’re me. This was the best I could do.”
“There are many things I’ve seen you pull off, but the Ball Guy costume isn’t among them.”
Magnolia turned her back on the water type leader, no invitation into the house needed. She’d stayed over enough times that it was a second home in everything but name; Nessa tugged the head of the costume off, annoyed she’d even gone to the effort. The whole thing itched like it hadn’t been washed in a month.
Worth it to stop the paparazzi following me.
“Is she here?” Nessa asked in what she hoped passed for absent minded curiosity. A short look from Magnolia told it too, had fallen flat.
“Where else would she be?”
A question to her question was still a definitive answer.
“Right, right…of course.”
“On St. Valentine’s day of all days. Really, Nessa? What did you expect?”
Nessa didn’t appreciate just how cutting the professor could be, but it wasn’t ever malicious. More…observation without cushioning. Nessa plopped herself down heavily on the closest chair.
Why does this thing have to be so heavy? How does the actual mascot manage this for a whole day?
“She’s not got any dates lined up? No plans?”
Arceus you’re lame. Stop being lame, of course she doesn’t.
“You know my granddaughter well enough to know she doesn’t.” Magnolia also had the annoying ability to read her thoughts on occasion. Maybe that just came with being old? Nessa had that to look forward to then.
“Oh. An attractive person like her…I’d have thought…”
“You thought nothing of the sort, dear, or you would’ve have come at all. You don’t put effort into things you don’t think you can do.”
Damn, she’s got me laid out like a book.
“Well,” she tried weakly.
“I won’t hear of it. You put on a ridiculous costume to spare her the press if you got shut down.”
Even with her back to her in the kitchen, the words were sharp to the gym leader’s ears.
“Why the Ball Guy? Humour me, dear.”
Magnolia already had the kettle on, and for that Nessa was grateful. Always straight to the point, no beating about the bush. In the hectic world of gym battles and modelling, someone who just did and not talked about doing was a breath of fresh air. Even if she was curt to the point of discomfort on occasion.
Or always, let’s be honest for once today.
“A lot of them get rented over the valentine’s day period,” Nessa explained, scratching at the fabric on reflex.
She’d been a little slow on the uptake and hadn’t managed to get one of the higher quality ones by any stretch of the imagination; the ‘red’ shirt now resembled a burnt orange, bleached by sunlight due to repeated use.
“With so many people wearing them around Galar, figured I could use one to sneak here undetected.”
Magnolia only hummed in response, busying herself choosing the different blends. Again, no confirmation needed on what each of them wanted. Nessa noted the third cup being set out.
“Apparently the costume is very popular to propose in. Who’d have guessed?”
“Are you planning on proposing?”
“N-no!” Though the professor had yet to turn, Nessa could still feel her gaze in some capacity. Judgement. “I’ve…messed up enough. I came to patch things up. Make things…right.”
“I see.”
“I know how this seems, professor.”
“I do?” Magnolia returned with a tray of tea in tow. “Fascinating, you’ve discovered the art of mind reading, dear.”
“Oh, you know what I meant! I…” Nessa’s voice vanished upon the raise of the professor’s eyebrow. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to snap. I’m just…” She sighed, long and drawn out. “I’m on edge. Nervous even.”
“I thought the great Nessa didn’t get nervous?” Magnolia sat down opposite and sipped at her tea, taste buds long since accustomed to the boiling liquid. “To think the poised and perfect model has her feathers ruffled. Unthinkable.”
“Yeah…well I’ve got every right to be.” Nessa spared a glance to the staircase. “I messed up before.”
“You did.” Magnolia spoke without hesitation, but Nessa had no room to offer rebuttal. It was true after all. “My granddaughter has been hurting, whether she admits that to me or not.”
“I…”
“Go and make things right, dear.” The tray with the two remaining cups on it was offered up to her. “She’ll appreciate the tea at the very least.”
Hardly reassuring.
“I…thanks, professor.” Nessa stood, then stopped short of the stairs. “Should I put the head back on?” She motioned the head of the Ball Guy, currently enjoying a view of the house plants where it sat.
“Entirely up to you. She might find it funny or scream and punch you.”
“I’d deserve that,” Nessa muttered.
“Probably. Now shoo, upstairs! The tea won’t stay hot.”
Nessa needed no further encouragement, deciding to have the head on after all. Having her face knocked in through the costume wouldn’t be nearly as bad.
“Oh, and Nessa?” The gym leader stopped, one foot on the bottom step.
“Yes, professor?”
“Try not to break my granddaughter’s heart again. I shan’t be best pleased if you do.”
“I’ll…try my best,” she replied at length. What Magnolia had said was in contention for the most empathetic piece of advice she’d ever given her. Sure, it was wrapped in layers upon layers of condescension but it was better than outright disdain.
“You’ll do better.”
There’s the disdain, and there goes the moment.
“I will.”
Nessa climbed the stairs, immediately regretting placing the head back on. Just trying not to trip with her field of view obscured was bad enough, and then adding potentially scalding liquid into the mix? Recipe for stress.
Could there be any more books lining these damn walls?
The house seemed to be designed just to make things as difficult as possible, and that was before she even got to Sonia’s room.
She still has those tiny Yamper stickers all over the door. Cute.
Nessa paused. Despite all the trouble she’d gone to thus far she still couldn’t find it in her to knock. She didn’t deserve to.
This isn’t for me. She quickly corrected. This is for her. Woman the hell up and just talked to her. You owe that much to her.
The water type leader sighed, breathy and uncomfortable inside of the costume. If her bumbling at the top of the stairs hadn’t alerted Sonia to her presence, then all of the sighing was going to.
Here goes, you pansy. Knock on that damn door already!
She knocked, a little louder than she’d intended.
“Not now, Gran. I’ll come down for tea in a bit, alright?”
“Hey Sonia.”
In a more fairy-tale setting, Nessa would’ve heard the pencil her friend had been holding clatter to the floor. Instead, whatever writing had be going on stopped ever so briefly, before continuing.
The slightest tightening of Sonia’s grip was the only thing that indicated she’d heard anything at all.
“Hey I…”
“I heard you. Nessa.” The redheaded assistant put down her pencil. She didn’t need to open her door to know that voice. A voice that come to mean so much and yet so little as the years had worn on. Emotions stacked on top of emotions, on top of emotions.
Jumbled, tangled even, like a pile of dirty laundry she’d never bothered to wash. Maybe she didn’t want to? A tiny voice on the edge of Sonia’s consciousness urged her as much.
This has to stop. I thought I was ready to let go of the past.
It was Sonia’s turn to sigh; it was all just an inconvenience to get her away from her research notes after all.
“What’s up?”
Of all the responses Nessa had expected to receive, apathy hadn’t been one of them. It was like she’d only popped out for milk and not avoided her, more or less, since New Year’s Day. It was a slap in the face to say the least and Nessa’s face was a perfect mirror for it.
At least the Ball Guy costume afforded her face a decent amount of privacy. She could really get why Allister would wear a mask of his own. So much easier than facing the harsh realities of the world.
“Can I…come in?”
“…”
“I have tea.”
“Then you can bring it in, I guess.”
Her friend’s voice indicated entirely that she didn’t really want the tea, but it hadn’t been the ‘no, go away’ Nessa had dreading so that was a victory in itself.
That means there’s hope…right?
The door swung open, Nessa placing the tray on the desk as close to her friend as she dared to get. Intimacy was something earned. Nessa had earned it at one point, and for a long time at that. Now it was a boundary best respected.
Seeing the redhead’s eyes fixated down, away from her to the matted carpet was just painful. The lint balls Sonia had no doubt meant to hoover up many weeks ago were just that much more interesting.
Or maybe more deserving. They’ll always be there for her and won’t stab her in the back like I did.
“Is that…everything?” Sonia sounded defeated. Even with her vision obscured Nessa could see her friend had been overworking herself again. Right down to the wire, judging by the bags under her eyes. Dark and ugly, some might say.
Never to Nessa, always admiring them, exclaiming ‘they’re a great indicator of just how hard you work!’
Her hair still has the hearts in, even when she’s alone in her room. I suppose they always were more for her than me.
“Nessa.”
“O-oh, yeah…right…” She trailed off, leaving only the hum of Sonia’s laptop to fill the void. “Magnolia let me in.”
“I can…see that?” Sonia looked up for the first time, if only briefly.
A critical eye needs but only a moment. That’s the logic of a perfectionist. Oh, how those words had come back to bite her now.
“I got it from a thrift store,” Nessa explained, gesturing to the get up she had on. “I was a little pressed for time so it’s not the best.”
“It’s hideous.”
The Sonia Nessa knew and loved would’ve at least cracked a smile at it. Now, it was like the woman she loved had been replaced by a scarecrow. Just a facsimile.
“Yeah, it really is.”
“…”
“…”
“…Please…let’s not do this, Nessa.”
“Why not?”
“If you don’t know why, then I don’t know what to say to you.” Sonia made to turn, breaking the spell. Nessa hastily removed the head once more, trying to get back in the redhead’s field of view.
“Please just hear me out!
“That’s what you’re gonna say? You’re a right laugh.”
Nessa shrank back, already knowing she’d overstepped. Despite what Sonia had said, she wasn’t laughing. Her apathy had the faintest traces of anger seeping into it now; brow creasing, eyes narrowing slightly, deep breath in…the works.
Condescension wasn’t a trait unique to Magnolia, Nessa knew full well, but to hear Sonia (her Sonia) say what she said next was another slap in the face. One far more stinging in its potency.
“It’s been months! We’ve been months apart. I dunno what sort of crazy schemes you got cooked up in that dome of yours, Nessy, but I’m through with all that. You and your bullshit stringing me along like an Arrokuda on a line! Get real, or get out.”
Sonia was standing now, Nessa wasn’t even sure when that had happened. The turquoise boot heels gave her just enough height to win that battle, and Nessa recoiled further. Sonia hadn’t once raised her voice and that was probably worse. She wasn’t even worth being truly angry at.
“I don’t know what the hell you thought was gonna happen with you waltzing in here with the terrible costume and tea and all that jazz,” Sonia muttered, scowling at the beeping her laptop had decided to interject with.
The lid was closed forcefully, Nessa just hoping the work was saved before any rash decisions were made.
“You know want from you…what I wanted.” Sonia sat heavily. Adrenaline will only carry you so far if you started off tired, after all. “But you could never commit to me. You wanted to be ‘Galar’s most eligible’ bachelorette’ or whatever,” she said, miming the air quotes. “You’ve got to be ‘perfect for my modelling sponsors.’”
“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to…”
“To what? Push me away from you for my own good? Yeah…sounds about right.”
“…” Nessa had no response to that. With the pressure from her agents closing in from all sides, pushing Sonia way from her had seemed like a good idea at the time. The only option, if she was being brutally honest.
“If you ever loved me, you’d know I was gonna stick right by your side and ride it out.” Sonia had reopened the laptop, the brief bubbling of anger subsiding once more. “But no. You knew what I wanted better than I myself did, right?”
“I wanted us to be public, Sonia. Really…I did.”
“And so did I,” she huffed, typing away at the keyboard with nary a glance. “But you ditched me to what…protect me?”
“Yeah?”
Seems like a lifetime ago we had that conversation. Right after Raihan’s dumb holiday party.
Both had left in tears, though perhaps with one set more obvious than the other. Of course, that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt just as much.
“Then I guess you don’t know me all that well. All the media abuse and speculation would’ve been worth it, had I just been able to stay by your side.”
“Sonia…I…”
“Nessa, I’ve got work to do. You picked a lovely day for it, but I’m…busy. I’m just busy.”
Nessa didn’t move from her spot, sitting dead square on the floor. She didn’t think the comfort of the bed was allowed at a time like this.
We made out there more times than I can imagine. Yeah, this is what I turned us into. Civil, but strained, and…apart.
Silence fell, the hum of the laptop reasserting itself as the dominant force in the room. Sonia worked, Nessa sat. Neither wanting to commit to breaking the silence.
However conflicting feelings aside, Nessa knew in her heart it was her mess and therefore down to her to endure any awkwardness for the sake of the both of them.
“I’ve been busy too,” she blurted out.
“Yes, yes, I’m sure you have with all your brand deals.” Sonia did spare her a glance back this time, rolling her eyes at her friend’s choice of sitting place. “Didn’t I see you in that ‘Genuine Mt Coronet Spring Water’ commercial?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.” It was for the dumbest of reasons, but it did earn the ghost of a smile from the redhead. “I have been busy though. Coming here today was only part of it.”
“…I’m not going to stop typing, but I’m listening.”
Sonia being willing to listen to her at all was more than she really deserved, and Nessa wasted no time:
“I came here to apologise to you. I was wrong, I fucked up.”
“…”
“You were right. I shouldn’t have pushed you away like I did.”
The typing stopped.
“What?”
“I only put on this stupid costume so I could get here without some idiot with a camera tracking me. If things didn’t work out, then you wouldn’t still have your name all over the papers.”
“…”
It took a moment for her to realise, but for the first time since Nessa had entered the room, Sonia was giving her her full attention. She was just…staring straight at her; it unsettled her, but Nessa took a deep breath and continued:
“I didn’t ask you…I just acted. That was beyond disrespectful, it was, it was…it was arrogant. I thought I knew better when you’ve always been the smarter one!” Nessa stood, energy starting to return. “You probably had all this shit planned out on how to deal with the public eye and I didn’t even give you the chance! What sort of girlfriend was I?”
“…”
“I was scared of making you hate me, what with all the funk and rumours flying around. I’ve got to have this perfect image all the time, whether I’m modelling or being a gym leader…the cameras are always on me. Corrupting you was something I couldn’t bear to think about but I ended up making it way worse than anything they could’ve done.” Head in her hands, the last part of Nessa’s display was choked. “It was me…I’m the one who sucked. Majorly. I’m sorry, Sonia.”
“…………How long did you take to think all that up?”
“It just sort of happened.” Nessa was wiping her eyes before she even realised what she was doing.
Tears. Of course, Arceus that’s embarrassing.
“You didn’t deserve some scripted bullshit from me, not after everything.”
“So that part about me hating you…?”
“Yeah, gotta go with the truth and everythi…”
“I could never hate you, Nessa,” Sonia said, cutting her off. “And that’s the truth.”
The redhead leaned back on her chair, running her hands through the mass of hair she’d taken to styling.
“There were times…Arceus there were so many times I wished I did! You broke my heart. Being able to hate you would’ve made things so much easier.”
“You…don’t?” Sonia looked her dead in the eye, catching the breath Nessa had been holding.
“Never.” Sonia slid off of her desk chair, sitting across from the water type leader on the carpet. “I never stopped loving you, either. But…we can’t do this anymore. You only let me love you some of the time, not all of it. Whether the cameras are on shouldn’t matter, should it? If we just acted natural, in a few months they’d probably have lost interest and found another poor sap to pester. They always do. We can’t have what we had before. It’s too painful to me.”
“You’re right about that too. We can’t.”
“So…” Sonia’s breathe hitched.
“I’m not giving up on us either,” Nessa clarified. “I want things to be different…if you’ll give me another chance…”
“……I’m listening. I’m promising you nothing.”
Sonia folded her arms, but it was a token gesture at best. Despite the apathy clinging to her body like glue, part of her was genuinely curious as to what Nessa had planned. Part of her was angry, but the other hopeful. She dared to be…Nessa just had that effect on her, whether she liked it or not.
“I want to change ‘this’,” Nessa continued. “You’re right…you’re so damn right. About everything.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
“For real.” Nessa lay back on the floor, uncaring if it was comfortable or not.
It was a strange sight, both the posture and just her friend in general. Sonia had always known that of the two of them, she was the one with the self-worth issues. The one with the most to live up to.
Having your gran be the region’s leading expert in just about everything Pokémon related did wonders for your self-esteem.
People commenting on how different we are, or I’m just riding her coattails…it’s turned me into who I am now. Now Nessa’s the one unsure. Sadness has been a part of me for as long as I have memories. Always so put together, she’s not used to feeling this way like I am.
Sonia spared a glance to her laptop up above, cursor still blinking on her thesis submission. Getting her PhD had never been more important, and she’d been working on top of battling her conflicting feelings surrounding the gym leader before her.
The Master’s degree never seemed so easy.
She really wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be feeling. Nessa had come back to her, and that was what mattered. Sonia let out a breathy laugh to herself. It was bittersweet, though. Things couldn’t just go back to the way things were.
The way things were, were bad. Sonia reminded herself of that most importantly. Bad for both of us, even if we did have feelings. Nessa wouldn’t have come back if she didn’t as well.
Sonia scuffed her boots on the carpet.
I really need to vacuum this place. Maybe after my project is over…
“So…you wanted to ‘change something’?”
“Yeah,” her friend’s voice came. “The old me would’ve just gone and done it. I had a lot of time to think when we were apart.” Nessa heaved herself into a sitting position once more, Sonia noting how much messier the midnight locks had become. “Being with someone means you actually fucking ask what the other thinks or wants, right?”
“Right?”
Sonia wasn’t sure where this was going. Internally she was taking a pitchfork to anything that even came close to slightly resembling hope. She’d fallen into that trap before, but it made little difference. Her chest was already tightening.
“Thank you…for consulting me. So what’ve you got?”
“I want us…to…to be…” Nessa trailed off.
She’s worried about making things worse. Years of practice have taught her to supress the fidgeting, but I can tell she’s keeping it inside.
“I…I-I’m sorry, Sonia. I don’t want to hurt you any more than I have already.”
“We won’t know unless you ask me.” A pointed reminder of their last encounter.
“You’re right. You’re right…”
“…”
“I want us…to…be…public.”
“You what?!”
It had always been a cruel hope of Sonia’s that Nessa would say such a thing but it had been just that: ‘a cruel hope’. Something that was always just out of reach, ever tantalising, brushing at her fingertips.
“No more hiding, we come out and just do it,” Nessa explained quickly, finding the courage to meet Sonia’s aqua blue with her own ocean hued eyes. “Having my job and image control my life for me is just pants! I’ve decided I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks, I want to be your girlfriend! Anyone disagrees, Drednaw can eat them or something.”
“…That last part’s a joke, right?”
“Maybe.”
“Nessa!”
“Alright fine, fine…”
“Okay so you want…”
“Just a leg or something.”
Sonia quickly leant over to bop her on the shoulder, though couldn’t help but smile.
That felt…nice. Just like old times. Sonia quickly composed herself, not daring to hope for something she still might not be able to have. Searching her friend’s face yielded nothing but sincerity, that beautiful mix of ocean blue and chestnut brown in her eyes she’d grown to love holding only affirmation.
“You’re…shit…you’re serious about this.”
“I’m serious alright. We’re cutting the strings, stripping away all the red tape and just being happy. I’m sick of having to pretend to be single for perverts to fanaticise about! What about what I want?! What about my life?!”
“Geez, I get it already, don’t shout the house down.”
“Yeah, sorry. I guess wearing the Ball Guy costume would’ve been pretty useless if I just advertise myself to the neighbourhood.”
“Well, Route 2 doesn’t have all that many houses I guess…”
“So can I shout then?” Nessa seemed entirely too hopeful, and Sonia could barely resist the urge to say no.
“Just…give me a moment here.” Sonia’s head was indeed swimming. All of the dirty laundry was spinning around and around in the world’s least stable washing machine that constituted her head. “I can’t believe this…”
“I know…”
“The Nessa I knew before would never have asked. She wouldn’t have even done.” Sonia banged her head lightly against the back of the desk drawers to emphasis. “She’d have just told me how she’d hoped I’d understand why things had to be the way they were. I was so sure that’s what you came here to do…so damn sure. I was prepared to furious with you.”
“Yeah…I’m sorry,” Nessa said quietly.
“It’s…alright.” It took effort for her to form that word, but the both of them felt the better for hearing it. “Just having you change your mind at all seemed so far away at one point. What made you change it?”
Sonia leaned forward to find it was Nessa’s turn to inspect the carpet.
“You did. The thought of fucking up one of the best things that ever came into my life. Damn good motivator if you ask me.”
“…Yes.
“Huh?”
“Yes…I want to be public with you, being as you didn’t actually ask me.”
“Shit, I-I didn’t even…”
Sonia held a hand up, silencing her.
“Again, it’s fine. You did most of the work, I guess. Suppose I’ll always be cleaning up after you from now on then?”
“S-Sonni…I…thank you!”
Just hearing her pet-name again blossomed the warmth inside Sonia was so sure had died. Yet, here it was, small but reignited.
It was barely perceptible, but Sonia’s trained gaze didn’t miss the Nessa had leaned in slightly before restraining herself.
“You can kiss me, you dolt!”
“But I…”
The redhead closed the distance herself, scooching over beside Nessa to plant a delicate peck on her cheek.
“I’m not saying I forgive you yet, but kisses are sure to help with that.”
“I…” Nessa could feel her face heating up with the contact, brushing her hand up to wear Sonia’s lips had touched. “I’d forgotten how good that felt.”
“You’re a right sap, Nessy!”
Her own pet-name, this time not as an accusatory one, but the genuine article did much the same to Nessa as Sonia.
“Hey I’m totally not!”
“Sure.” Sonia brought their heads together, touching lightly as she closed her eyes in thought. “I’d forgotten it too. I’m…glad I got to do it again.”
“Me too, Sonni.”
“…”
“Are you crying?”
“N-no…course not.”
Sonia separated their faces, watching as the gym leader opposite turned her head in a bid to hide the tears.
Back in full force by the looks of things.
“I’m s-sorry, Sonia!” *sniff*
“Come on now…if you start I’m gonna start.”
“Can’t help myself, my bad.”
True to her word, Sonia’s eyes had begun to leak as well, staining her top dark with tears. Oh how she’d cried into pillow night after night in the days after the break-up; repressed feelings don’t like to be ignored forever, as the two were finding out the hard way.
“I d-don’t deserve you, I’m sorry!” Nessa wailed, pulling Sonia into the fiercest of hugs. “I’m never gonna let y-you outta my sight again, you hear?” Nessa found it within herself to look up to friend’s eyes, mirroring her own waterworks. “I was scared a-and confused, Sonni! I didn’t know what to do and I’ve regretted it ever since I told you to leave! I never want to leave you again and I never will. Promise.”
“Nessy…Nessy…just hearing you say all that does me the world of good. I always wanted to hear it but I kept trying to bury my feelings. Over time I just…stopped feeling anything.”
Forgoing her earlier hesitance, Nessa took Sonia’s lips in her own. It was wet and the tears were making things taste slightly saltier than she would’ve liked but then and there, in that moment, it was perfection.
“I figured if you were ever gonna touch me today, I was gonna get slapped or something. This is…better,” Nessa replied. “You put up with so much from me over the years, you deserve to feel good. I…I hope I can do that.”
“With you by my side, I think we can both start to rebuild our lives.”
Sonia sat back, separating them. Her room had never seemed so full of life. Alas, her eyes were drawn back to the carpet and the dustballs that had found their home there.
“Look at the two of us, messing about on the floor like a couple of bloody kids…”
“Heh…sorry about that. Didn’t want to sit on the bed earlier,” Nessa explained, helping Sonia stand.
Having her hand in mine…Arceus that feels good. So warm and soft, but strong enough to pull me if I stray of course.
“Well I’m sitting on the bed, you can join me. Permission granted.” Sonia turned on her heel and sat on the mattress, and Nessa found it immensely satisfying that she didn’t let go of her hand in doing so. Nessa sat beside, just enjoying the proximity.
“…”
“…”
“…”
“So what now?”
“Oh…yeah…” Nessa rubbed the back of her head, abashed. “So I said I had plans made, yeah?”
“You did?”
“It’s…uh…kinda silly. I mean you’re all busy with your research and stuff so…”
“Just spit it out, geez we part for a few months and you turn into a right sap!”
A mock glare from the water type leader was all it took to earn a giggle from her. Even with bags under her eyes, the humour wasn’t any less impactful.
“Alright, I maaaay have gotten a reservation for two at the fanciest restaurant in Hammerlocke,” Nessa admitted, squeezing the other woman’s hand slightly.
“You don’t mean…”
“The Grand Alcremie, yeah. Though I’ll admit I’d have still gone on my own if you kicked me out.”
“Well, let’s be glad you don’t have to.” Sonia gave her friend a beaming smile. “I mean how the heck did you even get something like that? That place books months in advance, and I know you’re a celebrity and all but…”
“You can thank Rose for that.”
“The Chairman?” Sonia raised an eyebrow. Despite Magnolia’s earlier efforts, the teas looked like they were indeed going to go cold. “I thought he was one of the people against us being together in public? Sponsorship money and all that?”
Nessa shrugged in response, ‘accidentally’ knocking the Ball Guy head to the floor in the process.
Won’t be needing that anymore.
“I made it clear to him just how badly the whole ordeal had affected me, and no sponsor was going to want to sign deals with a gym leader who could break down at any moment.”
“Oh?”
“He was honestly way more understanding than I thought he’d be. He apologised and said he didn’t realise how bad I’d been, given I was keeping up appearances around everyone. Even got me this reservation as a goodwill gesture.” Nessa squeezed at the hand again, bringing her other around to cup it. “What better place to reveal you’re taken than at a fancy restaurant in front of a bunch of snooty socialites? His words not mine,” she added quickly, noting Sonia’s perplexed expression.
“He really just did that on a whim? Guess owning a sizeable chunk of Galar can do that for you,” Sonia pondered, using her free hand to sweep away a stray curl of hair Nessa had disturbed.
“But do you want to go though? I know how busy you are.”
“Of course! If we’re going to do this then we’re doing it with a bang, Nessy! Work can wait.”
“Hah, I was hoping you’d say that. Have I ever said that you work yourself too hard?” Nessa said, running a hand through her the redhead’s hair once more.
“You may have mentioned it once or twice. Every day.”
“Well you do! Don’t even worry about the dress code, just whatever will be fine. You clean up great.”
“I hadn’t even considered.” Sonia glanced down at the hand intertwined with Nessa’s. “I haven’t painted my nails in a while. They’re chipping.”
“I literally don’t care at all.” Nessa held the hand high, as if to prove a point. “Your hair, nails, make up, all of that is perfect. Just…” Nessa brought their heads together again, “…be you. You’re fantastic the way you are. I’m sorry for not appreciating that sooner.”
“Hey, we both made some mistakes.”
“…”
“Yours were way worse though, let’s be real.”
The two burst out laughing, rocking the bed slightly. It was just…silly. Everything was so unbelievably silly in hindsight. They’d gotten so worked up over something that had been made better simply by talking things out. Months of anguish made entirely pointless, it was just too much for the both of them to contain.
“Yeah they were. Fuck I was stupid! I mean why the hell didn’t we just talk?!”
“Fear makes people do irrational things, tale as old as time,” Sonia voiced, calming herself slightly, though not totally free of the giddiness. “To think we could’ve gone back to being girlfriends long ago. That’s crazy!”
“Crazy is one word for it.” Nessa stole another kiss from Sonia’s lips before clasping her hands together. “I’m glad I came here today. I was so close to just…not. Figured there was no way you’d take me back.”
“Hey, I was so sure you were coming to try and convince me I was wrong and you were doing things ‘for my own good’. I’m glad you came over too. I’ve never been so glad to be proved wrong.”
“I think we both are, Sonni. I think we both are.”
The two lay back on Sonia’s bed side by side, the silence that once seemed so impregnable now a warm and welcome blanket.
“How long until that reservation?”
“About an hour,” Nessa said listlessly, gazing up at the patterned ceiling. The Yamper stickers had even made their way up there somehow as well, though these ones seemed to be glow in the dark. “Why?”
“Well since we’ve got time…you might as well start making things up to me further.”
“…You want me to?”
“Kiss me again, you clown! Or do I have to do everything around here?”
A wry grin on Nessa’s face told Sonia all she needed to know.
“Sonia…I can assure you that won’t be necessary.”