Chapter Text
Anna Banana <3: You awake Mars Bar?
Marcy, not expecting a text as she scrolled through the TV tropes page of Vagabondia Chronicles at 2 AM, yelped and dropped her phone on her face.
“Ow…” She grumbled, rubbing her forehead as she rolled onto her side and typed out a response.
Yup, you know me! OvO
Anna Banana <3: Everything ok?
A small smile made its way onto Marcy’s face.
Yeah, I’m ok. Just can’t sleep. But not because of anything bad. Brain just won’t turn off you know? She told her friend before adding.
Thank you for asking though. I appreciate it <3
Her friend responded almost immediately.
Anna Banana <3: Of course dude! I remember you telling me you were still having nightmares a few weeks back. I just wanna make sure you’re ok.
Marcy blushed and grabbed her pillow, pulling it close to her as she felt a warmth spreading through her chest as she read that last message again.
I just wanna make sure you’re ok.
Anne had been so attentive to her after they came home. She hadn’t realized how much she wanted this from her until it started happening and then kept happening.
Sure Sasha had been the same way but with Anne it was different and that was causing long-buried feelings to resurface.
There’s no way she feels the same though. She thought as her phone buzzed again.
Anna Banana <3: Anything I can do to help you sleep?
Without thinking, she typed out a response and hit send:
Come give me a hug? I miss you.
“Oh wait no no no!” Marcy hissed as she tried to unsend the message.
…
Anne’s soft smile vanished when she read her friend’s message, sitting up and blinking several times to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.
Marbles!: Come give me a hug? I miss you.
Don’t overthink it Boonchuy. She told herself as flopped back down onto her bed and rolled over onto her side.
Aww well, I miss you too! I would if I could!
Marbles!: I know you would <3
Too bad you don’t have your calamity powers anymore! You could just fly here!
Anne chuckled softly at that.
I wonder how long that would take?
Marbles!: Not sure but I could probably work it out. Did you ever try going supersonic when you were using your powers?
Anne thought on the matter for a moment before typing out her response with a sigh.
You know, can’t say I did. At least not intentionally.
Marbles!: That’s ok! For the sake of this scenario, we’ll be optimistic and say you can fly faster than the speed of sound.
There was a brief pause as Marcy did what Anne assumed was some pretty complicated math off the top of her head.
I can’t believe she can just DO this at the drop of a hat. Anne thought before her phone buzzed.
Marbles!: It would take roughly two and a half hours for me to get my hug.
Anne blushed as she told herself Worth It! before she realized she had typed and sent that.
“Oh, dear frog” She grumbled, dropping her phone and burying her face in her pillow out of embarrassment.
…
Marcy squeezed her pillow a little tighter when she read Anne’s message.
Anna Banana <3: Worth it!
Aww, thanks Anna Banana! She said quickly.
It’d be nice to see you! Even if it was just for a little bit.
Then she remembered something and went to her email, sifting through writing notes she had sent herself from her school computer before finding what she was looking for and using a markup tool to circle a little piece of information on her boarding pass and sent it to her friend.
Maybe you can see me for a little bit! I’m going to see my family in Taipei in a few weeks. We’ll be stopping in LA for a few hours to change planes! We could go get lunch or something!
Anna Banana <3: Dude no way that’s perfect! I’m gonna give you the biggest hug ever!!
Marcy squished the lower half of her face into her pillow as if trying to hide her reddened cheeks as she responded.
Can’t wait!!
Anna Banana <3: Sash should be able to make it too. She has some sick days to burn anyway.
Marcy smirked.
Something tells me she’d find a way, sick days or not.
Anna Banana <3: Yeah that’s probably true XD
Anna Banana <3: six hours though, we could do some damage in six hours >:3
Marcy raised an eyebrow.
Yeah?
Anna Banana <3: Oh yeah! We can hit the mall, any % speed run style!
Anna Banana <3: …did I use that right?
Marcy cooed and dropped her phone, burying her face in her pillow.
“How is she sooo cute!!?” She asked no one in particular.
This girl was going to be the death of her.
…
Anne drummed on her phone case with her fingers when she felt it buzz, she flipped it over in an instant and looked at the message from her friend.
Marbles!: I mean…it’s close enough. I love you for trying tho! <3
I’m glad everything you taught me before you left is sticking! …Kinda X3
Anne looked at the last line, and the little heart Marcy put there and tried to suppress the warm fuzzies that filled her chest as her friend praised her.
Marbles!: V proud :3
Marbles!: You know what I miss most about being with you on nights like these?
Anne’s pulse quickened as she responded.
What?
Marbles!: Midnight Dance Parties!
Anne’s face lit up.
Oh yeah! Those were so much fun! She replied as she thought about Marcy, wearing her gaming headphones and dancing to music only she could hear.
She would throw in the occasional twirl or grab Anne’s hands and lead her through something resembling ballroom dancing before going to do the same with Sasha.
Maybe it was the rose-colored glasses, but she could have sworn Marcy always danced with her a few seconds longer.
She smirked and typed out a solemn decree.
Mark my words Marcy Regina Wu, I will dance with you again.
…
Marcy squeed into her pillow when she read that, the thought is just enough to keep her eyes open for a few minutes longer.
Her friend noticed the gap in her response and sent another message.
Anna Banana <3: Getting sleepy?
Marcy frowned a little
Yeah, but now I don’t wanna sleep.
It’s nice talking to you.
Like I know we talk a little already but usually, you’re at work or I’m at work or you’re in between classes or I’m on the bus.
So, it’s nice to just sit and have a conversation without anything else going on. She explained.
Know what I mean?
Anna Banana <3: Yeah, I getcha :)
Marcy was feeling brave, so she started typing again.
Anne…do you ever look at someone and they make you feel safe, loved, and just happy? Like so so stupid happy it seems like anything could be possible? You look at them and they feel like home?
And all the little things you used to do become this collection of little traditions that you share with one another?
Like midnight dance parties? And walking on the beach waiting for that little coffee shop we discovered to open? And karaoke, but they’re all the songs you hate? Or pacing around the room with me and stimming when I am rambling about an idea I had for my webcomic or C&C so I wouldn’t feel weird.
I can’t tell you how much those memories mean to me. They kept me going when I was trapped in the Core, and every day since.
I wish I said what I’m about to say when we found each other again outside of Newtopia, but I’d didn’t, so I’m going to say it now:
I was home the minute I found you Anne, and when my life is all figured out, I’m coming back to you, and I’m never letting you go again.
And I really hope you feel the same way, because I’ve never been more scared of anything in my whole life than telling you that I love you.
Marcy took a breath and sat up, staring at the message, her finger hovering over the send button.
…
Anne frowned at the message she had been typing. She felt like it was messy and rambling, but she had no other words to describe how she felt.
She sat up and pulled her legs to her chest, resting her chin on her knee as she read it over one more time.
Marcy, ever since you left, everything feels a little…dull. LA, it just doesn’t feel like home anymore and since I learned about when I’m gonna die, I realized I don’t wanna spend my life in a place that doesn’t feel like home.
Because my home is with you. Wherever you are. Whatever you're doing, whether it’s solving world hunger or writing webcomics.
I love hearing you talk about the things that excite you, even if I don’t totally understand what you’re talking about. Your enthusiasm is so infectious.
I love running around town looking for the red velvet cupcakes with the ube frosting that you love so much, and we end up finding everything BUT what we’re looking for, and we’d come back with a mountain of sweets that would power our midnight dance parties.
I love when you rest your head in my lap and let me play with your hair while I tell you about my day because I knew that as long as you were with me, nothing bad was gonna happen to you because I would never let it.
I love you, Marcy.
So if, after being out in the world, you decide to come back to LA, I want you to know that I’ll be here, hoping that you’ll feel at home with me too.
Anne sighed and looked out her window, roughly in the direction Marcy’s plane had flown when she left LA.
She and Sasha had gone to the In and Out by the airport and watched her go, tracking the jetliner until it disappeared beyond the horizon.
Then she looked back at her phone, at her confession, and a flood of emotions filled her heart.
Fear being the most prominent.
She would much rather have Marcy in her life as a friend than not at all.
She couldn’t ruin things.
They were just getting back to normal.
So, she deleted the message.
…
Marcy groaned as she fell back onto her side, once again clinging to her pillow as she stared at her own words.
The words that could completely ruin her relationship with her best friend.
The raven-haired girl scoffed at how cliche she was.
Falling in love with your best friend.
What was this? Monster Slayer Academia?!
She sighed.
Anne had forgiven her for trapping her in another world. Should she really be pushing her luck by pouring out her heart and soul to her?
Could she ever really trust her again?
Trust her in the way that someone should be able to trust her partner?
No…no she couldn’t.
Quit while you’re ahead Wit. The Core had once told her.
It was right.
Anne deserved better.
“Way better than me,” Marcy whispered as she highlighted the text and deleted it all in the blink of an eye before typing up a new message.
I think I’m gonna try getting some sleep. Thank you for chatting with me!!
Anna Banana <3: Of course! Anytime you can’t sleep don’t be afraid to text me, ok?
<3 Oki! Good night, Anne!
Anna Banana <3: Night Mars Bar!! Miss you!!
Marcy locked her phone and set it on her nightstand before rolling over and curling around her pillow once more, holding it tight as she fell asleep wishing it was the girl she was hopelessly in love with.
Unaware that on the other side of the country, she was doing the same.