Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She felt the blood pooling on the floor underneath her before she even realised it was hers. Her dress was quickly being stained a deep red, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Katya faintly heard the door close and lock her in, but didn't even try to protest. Numbly, she shifted onto her side, attempting to bring a hand to her wound, but hissing sharply in pain as soon as she touched it.

"Shit..." she whispered through gritted teeth, letting her head fall back and hit the floor. She felt a burning heat beneath her eyes, but didn't try to hold back her tears. It was hopeless.

Quiet sobs echoed throughout the room, nothing to disturb her demise but the tick, tick, ticking of the clock on the wall.

-

Katya felt a cool sensation on her head. She struggled to open her eyes, and immediately shut them again as the light that entered them struck through her brain. Her side exploded with pain as she tried to curl in on herself. If this was Heaven, she didn't even want to know what Hell was supposed to be.

"Katya?"

Wait. She knows that voice. It must have been an angel sent to retrieve her, for it took the voice of the most beautiful woman she ever had the honour of knowing.

"Katya? Please answer me, are you awake?" The angel pleaded.

"Mm. You can stop using that voice, it's only going to-" she cut off with a gasp of pain. "To make me miss her more. Or am I really in Hell? Is this a punishment?"

The angel laughed. Katya wanted to listen to that laugh forever.

"Katya, dear, you're not in Hell. You're not even dead. It is a relief to know you still remember me..."

Katya tried again to pry open her eyes, and saw a woman looking down at her, concern and... something else in her deep brown eyes.

"Sofia?" Katya rasped, realisation dawning on her. She was sat up in her childhood best friend's bed, the room still achingly familiar to her, even after all of those years. She allowed herself a brief moment of regret, before remembering why they were driven apart. Despite this, her gaze still made Katya's heart race.

Sofia giggled, removing her hand from Katya's forehead. "I missed you too, Kat. Now, you know there are better ways to get invited than getting yourself shot, right?"

Katya mustered up the energy to roll her eyes, though she would be lying if she said she didn't like Sofia's soft teasing. It had been years since she'd heard it, and it brought back memories she was sure she had locked away.

"I don't know, aren't you supposed to hate me? What with the mafia news coming out, I wasn't sure you were going to save me this time."

Sofia sighed. "You must still be delirious. Tell me, why on Earth wouldn't I trust you?"

God, had she always been this oblivious? Katya raised an eyebrow at her. Sofia seemed to get the message.

"Fine. I'll admit, Goncharov was a lot to take in, but he couldn't possibly erase all of the time we've spent together, Katya. You know I wouldn't just give up on you for something like that." Sofia pleaded, tucking a short strand of Katya's hair back behind her ear. Katya blinked, and tried to focus on something other than the delicate touch.

She tried to come up with a retort, but was stopped by a series of harsh, hacking coughs. Sofia frowned.

"Listen, we can have this conversation after you're better, I don't want your stitches to tear. Besides, I think we would have a much more productive discussion once your fever goes down. Next time you get shot, remember to wear a coat, you caught something nasty laying in the cold for so long."

And that was that. Katya knew better than to try and change Sofia's mind, and watching as she blew out the candle on her bedside table, she couldn't help but smile to herself at the worry laced into her tone.

Maybe she could let her guard down for a few days. Just this once.

Chapter Text

Sofia gently shut the door behind her, the small click of the mechanism cutting through the otherwise still and silent air. With a sigh, she headed down the hallway, trying to wrap her head around what she'd gotten herself into.

The current political climate had already proven dangerous for her, and she couldn't help but feel like a fool for bringing a woman so closely entwined in the chaos back to her house, especially when she'd already lost so much trying to escape. But she couldn't just leave Katya to die.

At least, not yet.

Sofia heated the stove, the flickering light casting shadows across her face. Her cupboards were fairly well stocked, and it didn't take her long to begin warming through some broth.

"Hold on, Sofia, you must try some of this!" Katya had smiled, handing her a warm bowl that made her freezing fingers ache. Through her chattering teeth, Sofia thanked her, desperate not to forget her manners at such a prestigious restaurant. She had already felt out of place in an expensive new dress that didn't fit quite right, but when Katya looked at her, Sofia felt like royalty.

Sofia shook her head at the memory, though she couldn't clear the fondness that clouded her mind. She never did remember to give Katya her pearl necklace back, she realised. It was tucked away with the rest of her jewellery, making itself at home on her desk.

A long forgotten tune fell from Sofia's lips as she prepared the meal, half remembered melodies filling the air, drowning out the soft ticking of the clock hung on the wall.

Sofia poured a glass of water and set it on a tray, the bowl of now warm broth quickly following it. She hissed in pain as the bowl scalded her skin, almost spilling it as she set it down. After quickly examining her hand, she determined it was nothing serious, and picked up the tray, bringing it to her room where she left Katya.