Work Text:
it’s like clockwork.
every day, yuki comes home from a rejected job interview or a small acting gig utterly exhausted and in low spirits. and every day, momo is waiting for her at their cramped, haunted apartment with a smile on her face.
it eats at her— the fact that she can’t provide for the only person that’s stayed by her side, the girl willing to learn how to sing and dance so that she can maintain her flimsy, shattered reality. momo is doing all the work— not that she knows that. momo is keeping re:vale afloat.
yuki swallows hard. she has to take responsibility. she can’t be useless. but what can she do? she can’t make momo food, she can’t find stable work, and she can’t offer momo any knowledge of value.
god, momo-kun must hate me. she must regret ever approaching me and promising to stay by my side.
this could never be true, and yuki knows that. that only further opens the wound— the fact that momo is still willing to stay by her side without complaint, that momo is willing to work so hard. momo’s love is painfully unconditional, and that rips yuki to shreds.
yuki tosses an arm over her head. if things were to get so bad that we didn’t have enough food or a place to stay anymore, would momo-kun abandon me then?
her heart clenches. she knows that the answer is unmistakably,
no.
…nothing today either.
lately, yuki hasn’t even been able to write songs. how is it possible that she can’t even do the only thing she’s capable of? it makes her sick.
i’m sorry, momo-kun.
her eyes feel hot, and her sight becomes blurry.
what can i… what can i do for you? what am i able to do?
she lies there for a while.
“yuki-san, there you a… yuki-san?!”
the platinum-haired girl is filled with a feeling of dread. turning over and starting to sit up, she wipes at her eyes. “don’t come over here, momo-kun. give me a second.”
momo would obviously never let her cry off by herself somewhere, so she promptly disregards her request and approaches yuki. “yuki-san, what’s wrong? don’t cry…”
warm, gentle hands find the sides of her face, and yuki simply gazes at momo for a few seconds. momo looks like she’ll cry too if yuki doesn’t say anything, and her throat strains at the thought.
as momo brushes away the blue-eyed girl’s tears with her thumbs, yuki squeezes her own fists. i shouldn’t make trouble for her. i can’t write music and i can’t give momo peace of mind. the very least i can do is not give her a reason to worry about me.
yuki’s averted gaze is directed back to momo’s worried face, and suddenly she can’t help it— she starts crying again.
“yuki-san?! please don’t cry! did i…? i’m sorry—”
the platinum-haired girl grabs her arms. “don’t say that. you have nothing to be sorry about.”
momo’s face falls even further (if that were possible) at that, and her hands clasp yuki’s now. “what’s wrong? please tell me…”
she leans her head against her partner’s shoulder. “i want to share your burden.”
you already do, is what yuki doesn’t say. all you do is share my burden.
“…i can’t do anything for you, momo-kun. you work hard for my sake and yet i’m incapable of doing anything to ease your burden.” she ducks her head. “if you’re here to carry my burden, who will carry yours?”
“don’t think like that.” momo nuzzles their cheeks together as if she’s a cat. “i’m here to carry your burden, yuki-san. i’ll do anything for you— for re:vale. i’ll take care of you. you don’t have to worry about me.”
unpleasant words.
“no…!” yuki grabs the back of her partner’s shirt. “don’t— that’s not what i want. i don’t want you to be working yourself to the bone for me. i— i want to do something for you. anything.”
without the usual shame of being vulnerable, this issue has allowed yuki to lay herself bare to momo. i don’t think i’ve ever been so open with anyone before.
she sighs.
it’s really always been momo-kun, hasn’t it?
momo wraps her arms around yuki, making what had been a desperate embrace into a gentle hug. the platinum-haired girl lets herself melt into her with a soft sigh.
momo-kun, you’re my everything. you’re all i have.
her partner’s soothing voice and gentle touch lull her into some much needed sleep.
heart still heavy, burden being lifted by her partner, yuki closes her eyes.
it’s like clockwork.