Work Text:
The sun had set hours ago, but that didn’t matter to the two dating pals who had started movie night with some take-out and snacks. After dinner, they cuddled up on the couch with their munchies under some blankets, loudly remarking about dumb things the characters and actors do while they move through the night. Sometime though the night, they reclined back with the shorter smothering the taller into the couch cushions.
As the two were reclined on the seat cushions of the couch, the smaller one started humming words to themself. The tone of the notes almost placating if not for how melancholy they vibrated.
The TV was almost too loud for her to hear her partner say something as she paused the movie they were watching. Placing the remote down on the coffee table, and reclining back on the armrest again and adjusting the blanket back over the two, she looked to the person in her arms.
“What’d you say, babe?” She slurred slightly sleepily as it was their nth movie and nearing 2AM. Moving her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her partner’s ear as Darling lifted their head off the other’s chest and looked at her with sad eyes.
“Sometimes I miss them, Katie,” Darling mumbled quietly, but still heartbroken. “I know they treated me like shit, but—despite all they did and said to me over and over again—I miss them.”
They didn’t have to elaborate for Katie to understand who the people that hurt them so badly were. She held Darling tighter in her arms and gently kissed their forehead before her partner continued.
“I was abused and used; yet sometimes I cry as I wish to see their faces,” Their voice started to wobble and Katie fixed the blanket back over the two, having slipped again due to the abrupt movements, “hoping they’ve changed. I know they haven’t changed, but there are times when I expect my mom to call me about her day, or my sister to text me our next plans to go and hang out.”
A single year fell down Darling’s cheek as they tightened their grip on Katie’s shirt, “I sometimes envy what you have with your parents. I know it’s wrong of me and they love me as much as they love you, but I wish I could’ve had a snippet of what you have. A semblance of a normal and functional family that actually love each other and don’t just put up an act in public because they would definitely get arrested for the shit they did to their child.” The ‘and support each other’ was left unsaid but mutually understood between the two
With every word that flowed out to Darling’s mouth, they moved further and further out of Katie’s arms and to the opposite side of the couch. The blanket bundled around their short stature, their quivering form, and the distant look in Darling’s eyes broke their girlfriend’s heart at how fragile the former looks. Like one tap onto the fine chinaware, and suddenly the entire thing is shattered into uneven pieces of plenty.
“I hate them with all my heart and would damn them to hell over and over again… but they’re my family. Sometimes, the reason I hate them is the reason I want to rekindle our relationship; even when my mind replays everything they’ve done to me, I hear the ‘what if’s and those hurt more than the memories.” They voiced this to Katie quietly, not once raising their voice despite their ranting and influx of emotions.
No more tears had fallen after the single tear that had escaped, but Darling’s voice was hoarse and raw as if they had been crying the entire time. Their body had tensed up, almost statue-like despite the occasional sniffles and shaky breaths.
They sat in silence while Katie slowly, wordlessly, offered her hand for the other to hold, who latched onto with a vice grip. Collecting her thoughts together, the former broke the pregnant silence.
“Thank you,” she started quietly as to not disturb her partner, “for trusting me enough to tell me this.” She squeezed Darling’s hand gently before she continued, “I love you so, so, so much, Darling; with all of my being and hopefully for the rest of my life and beyond.”
Another silence stretched on, yet it wasn’t uncomfortable as they appreciated the other being there. Finally, someone spoke again, “Have you told your therapist about how you feel about this yet?”
In response, Darling shook their head, meekly voicing that they’ll tell them in the next session. “I just wanted to tell you first because I know I’ll need you there when I talk about it. Until this point, I have avoided the topic of my family at all costs.” As much as her heart warmed for the immense amount of trust and security Darling felt towards Katie, it also might as well have shattered to pieces after seeing the other so openly devastated.
There are very few topics that can get to Darling’s hearts’ core with the caring and optimistic wall built around it. Such a sweet and happy-go-lucky kind of person who always puts others’ needs before their own. To see such raw emotions that get pushed away in front of even the nosiest of persons so exposed to Katie, it makes said girl internally furious at their family; simultaneously feeling lucky for the amount of trust her partner is able to put into her.
For now, though, all that matters is drying up those rain clouds that hide her sunshine.
“Do you want to go to sleep in our bed for the night or continue to lounge out here?”
Almost inaudibly, Katie hears a mumbled request for hot chocolate and a small smile graces her face at her adorable partner. Yeah, she’s really thankful for the fact that their family is nowhere near the vicinity of the couple’s apartment or else there would be more than words spoken with them.
While waiting for the water to heat up in the half-kitchen, an ingenious thought popped into Katie's head as she near-sprinted to the couple's shared bedroom.
Once she returned to the couch where the person laid sporting a confused and slightly amused expression before lighting up once they saw what was within their girlfriend’s arms. In said persons’ arms were the former’s two favorite plushies: a giant strawberry named Mattgory and an equally sized sparkly fish named Gregthew.
The identified plushies were then abruptly crushing Darling as their girlfriend dropped them on their face at the sound of the electric kettle signaling the water ready.
With warm bellies and hurting yet homely hearts, the two slept wrapped up in each others’ arms - in bed, not on the couch because that is painful - thankful for the other in their lives.