Work Text:
It's an unfortunate thing, how something like a sickness can sneak up on you without you realising it. Like clouds slowly sweeping over a bright blue sky. Except this time, the clouds didn't dissipate. The rain didn't fall. The sun didn't come. Will she ever be able to see the sun again?
"Come on Diana, I know you can do it!" Akko's bright voice rang. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and pressed ever so slightly, encouraging her to move forward.
Diana had the desire to curse every stair in existence. It never occurred to her how many they had in their own home, one which she took every day.
The lines that usually indicated depth blurred together and formed into some form of white mass. She coasted her foot over the wooden surface, taking one step down once she found the edge.
"There you go."
"Akko, you have no need to praise me for every step I take." Diana belittled, feeling slightly flustered for going so slow.
"But I want to." She retorted, her voice having that determined edge to it she got whenever there was no use to argue.
Diana sighed, her grip tightening around Akko's shoulder as she took several steps down. Akko yelped at the sudden movement, her hand slipping from Diana's waist and her foot tripping over each other.
The loss of stability made them both fall, stumbling down the last few steps and landing on the floor with a thud. Akko groaned in pain, the light colour of her skin apparent against dark brown hair as she rubbed her head in an attempt to take away the throbbing.
Then her arms reached her. Worried hands grasped her cheek and a thumb ghosted over her skin. "Are you okay?! I'm so so sorry Diana." Her fingers trembled by the edge of her eyes that stared into hers.
"It's okay." Diana smiled and tried to bite away a grimace from the pain shooting from her arm. Akko shook her head vigorously.
"No, it's not. I'm supposed to be the one you can trust. Get support from."
Diana only reached up towards her face, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "I can see your red eyes."
A moment. Then a soft pressure against her chest as Akko rested her forehead against it. "We should probably move our bedroom downstairs."
Diana chuckled. "Are you trying to change the subject?" Her hand urged Akko to look up. "You have beautiful eyes." Like fire. Bright and dancing. The red eyes watched her. Blinked. When Akko didn't respond Diana looked away. "But yes, I suppose that would be suitable."
Akko let out a puff of air, "you're such a dork, I like your eyes too." Diana tensed, slipping into a frown.
"They should have changed due to the cataract, accumulation of protein on the eye's lens-"
"Diana." It bothered her how she couldn't see Akkos lips quirk up or how the edge of her eyes crinkled. Maybe they weren't. Her voice didn't sound mad, but she couldn't be sure. She could never be sure of anything anymore.
"I don't really get what that means but even if they are different, I still think they're beautiful." Everything about you are.
Diana hummed, pursing her lips. "How do they look?"
Akko took a moment to answer. "Like clouds, or milk." She giggled. "You know, like that warm milk I make with honey and blueberries. You can still see the blue in your eyes even if it's dimmed over..." The tips of her fingers traced by her eye. "And those small gold specks that I love."
Diana broke into an amused smile. "That is certainly one way to look at it." And so very you.
—
"You need to eat. I haven't seen you this caught up in research since finals at Luna Nova."
The text to speech played in her earphones. Diana settled into a frown, her brows furrowed in concentration. "Just a moment, I need to finish this."
"You said that two hours ago."
She hummed, clicking on another page.
She needed to adapt. There was no other way to it. Get perfect. Research. Learn everything. No missteps.
Except nothing worked.
She didn't know how many bruises she had from bumping into things. How many times she'd done something wrong. Miscalculated.
And it frustrated her to no end.
You should be better than this. You should have learned by now. You have to. Otherwise, you're not worthy-
"I'm taking this away from you."
The computer was dragged away from her and headphones pulled off.
"Akko!"
"Eat. After that, you can get it back."
Diana chewed anxiously on her lip. "Fine."
A red shadow filled her vision. Akko was tugging at her arm. "We can go down the street to that restaurant you like… you know I'm not the best cook in the house."
"Alright…" Her eyes concentrated forward. On the figure that was her bright and cheery girlfriend. "Are you wearing your red sweatshirt?"
"Yep! The one with Shiny Chariot on."
"Hm." She stroked a hand over the fabric. The stitches of the small figure of Shiny Chariot using the transformed version of the bow, turning it up towards the sky.
"I remember."
Back to zero. Relearn. Get to the top.
—
"Akko."
The bed creaked.
"Yeah?"
Diana tugged at the end of her shirt in a weak attempt to get it over her head.
"Help please."
"Oh."
A light poke on her bare stomach made her jump back, then Akko's soft giggle filled the air. "How did you even manage to get tangled like that?"
Diana grimaced. "Will you help or are you just going to tease me?"
"Alright alright, just give me a second."
Hands ran over her shirt and adjusted it, finally dragging it over her head. "Thank you." It was weak.
Akko placed a kiss on her cheek. "You're welcome."
Diana heard her walk away and gripped the end of her shirt in frustration. She was supposed to be able to do this already. What did Akko think of her? Being so incapable she couldn't do such a simple task herself.
Did she think less of her?
Was she really worth the love Akko gave her if she no longer felt like the person she fell in love with?
—
"How are you going to be the head of the household if you're blind?" Daryl's tuttered.
Diana tightened her jaw and shifted her grip on the phone to keep herself calm. Of course, she had found out about the situation, after all, it was only a matter of time. But she didn't think it would bother her so much. It wasn't anything new for Daryl to question her ability as head of the family.
Daryl chuckled when Diana stayed silent, seemingly enjoying the fact that she was beginning to get under her skin. "Would your mother be proud to see where you are now?"
Her chest tightened and she sucked in a breath. "You have no right saying that. My position in the family will not change!"
She could imagine how she shook her head at that. "Are you really sure about that? If you're not able to adapt to this. Can you still call yourself a proud member of the Cavendish?"
She didn't know if it was Daryl or her own voice speaking anymore. Maybe this time it was right.
—
Diana couldn't see red anymore.
—
She burnt her fingers on scorching coffee and jerked away, the cup slipping from her hands and falling to the ground with a crash.
Exhaling, she took out her wand the was on her waist "Sosomme..." she halted, lowering her wand. Her hands trembled. She didn't see the shards. She couldn't see the curved tip of her wand or the faint blue light fading as the spell was cut off. Her sight was molten.
Molten like the colour of a blue cup merging with a grey wooden floor. Molten like her mind never being sure of anything anymore. Molten by the thought of grasping at a wand she could no longer use. Because that required certainly. A knowing fact she would succeed without miscalculation.
Because, what was she if she no longer had that? If she no longer had the ability to carry out things she'd done without a second thought the majority of her life.
What was she if her ability to be her was taken away? If she couldn't do something as simple as repairing a mug or making breakfast for her girlfriend.
Did that make her worthless?
Worthless.
Worthless.
"Diana?"
She whipped her head up at the familiar voice. It tipped in worry and the sound of socks hitting wooden floor quickly came closer.
"I- I can't move." She tightened her jaw in an attempt to stop the trembling in her voice and her body. Her chest tightened in the realisation she no longer felt safe. Everything was uncertain.
Step on sharded glass or not.
Get wounded or not.
Stay vigilant or not.
Never being able to take a step forward without uncertainty. Without fear.
Akko swept up the shards by her feet. Brush scratching against the surface and glass clinking together. The smell of coffee filling the room and jumbling her mind.
"I swept up the glass, you can move now." Her voice had a teasing tone to it. Before Diana didn't answer. Didn't move.
"Diana?"
A warm hand took hers, squeezed. "You alright?"
She silently lowered herself to the ground.
"Diana?!"
"I can't do this." She pulled her legs close to herself and rested her back against the counter.
Akko's legs bumped into hers as she sat down in front of her. A careful hand reached out to her, voice filled with worry. "What do you mean?"
Lost. Empty. Worthless.
"I- I can't even see your smile anymore." Her voice broke, a tear trickled down her cheek.
A shaky breath, a sad smile. "Oh, Diana."
Akko brushed away a tear and took Diana's hand in hers, guiding it up towards her mouth. "But you can feel it."
Diana's fingers brushed across her lips. She made sure to make her smile extra big, just for her.
"Yes but-"
"And you can feel this." She pressed a gentle kiss on her knuckles, brushing her cheek against them. Diana's hand in hers squeezed.
Her lips traced lightly up her arm, leaving electricity behind and sending shivers through her body. Hair tickled against her shoulder as Akko leaned in against her neck. A soft kiss pressed under her jaw.
"Akko." She breathed out.
Her hands trailed up Akko's waist and pulled her closer. "And..." Akko broke apart after giving her a fast peck on her lips. "Please don't say that."
"What?" Diana wanted to pull in again. Feel Akkos lips against hers.
"Worthless." Her hand tightened around her arm. Diana bit into her cheek, turning away.
"Akko…"
"Do you feel that way about me?" She said it slowly, thinking of the best way to convey what she was thinking.
Diana's eyebrows knit together and her hands faltered around Akko's waist. She must have heard that wrong.
"Do I lose value because you can't see me?" She tilted her head to the side, her voice oddly calm.
"What- no."
Am I less because I'm not colored in paint or shaped by lines? Because you no longer can see me jump in joy or slouch in sadness. But you can still feel the floor shake and my voice get higher. You can still feel the heaviness of my body and streak away my tears.
"Are you less value to the world?" Akko followed, pressing her lips together in concentration. "You deserve your voice to be heard alone. Sight doesn't take away your mind." She shook her head as to make a point but realised Diana couldn't see that.
Instead she brushed a strand of wavy hair from her face and graced her cheek with her thumb. "You think your only strength was in sight?"
"I-"
"Your strength is how you carry yourself through things that would make others collapse. For how you want to help others be their best self." Like me.
She lowered her hand. Grabbing the fabric of her sweatpants. "Your strength is in your discipline of doing everything with utmost care and respect to the best of your abilities."
Akko glanced up in hope that what she said was understood. Tears were trailing down Diana's cheeks, going over her lips and dropping down onto her pants. She released a shuddering breath. "What if I've lost all of that."
She said it like a statement and it made Akko frown. "You haven't."
That's why you pushed yourself through this newfound darkness with enough determination that you thought you would reach the light.
"You can't expect to adapt to something like this like the flick of a wand." She continued.
Even darkness can be alive. And I know you can make it thrive.
"I know this is scary, I can't imagine what you're going through." Her hand streaked away another couple of tears. "Let yourself take time. No one expects you to adapt to this so fast."
That was when Diana's body collapsed over hers. Body quivering as she pressed herself into Akko's chest. Finally letting her tears fall. "I love you."
The rain fell. Clouds got lighter. Perhaps she couldn't see the sun anymore, but she could surely feel it. It was in her arms, cradling her protectively. Running her fingers through her hair in a soothing motion.
"I love you too."