Work Text:
“How have you been enjoying this evening?” Sage asks thoughtfully, swirling her glass of wine calmly. As if her thoughts weren’t speeding off into the light and it’s totally not like she’s so angry and so upset. There is no reason why she needs to react so negatively against Reyna spending all— most of her free time with a certain black-haired woman.
No. It wasn’t Sage she was spending her time with, as much as she wished it was.
What could they possibly be doing within the four pristine white walls of Viper’s often locked laboratory. Sage could, would never admit that she was jealous. Ha. Her? Jealous of such a dear, old friend?
Never.
She snaps back to the present, to reality.
“It’s been tolerable. Somewhat. I do wish to leave soon, though,” the Empress responds coolly, taking a languid sip from her glass. Sage longs to press their lips together. She wants to know so badly what on earth is going on between her and Viper. It’s not her business to stick her nose in— Sage knows, but she’s been holding her feelings secret for absolute years and Viper comes and takes her one and only away from her in the blink of an eye?
Her mind keeps running tracks around a field. Her thoughts are wild, so wild. She’s so nervous. Her heart won’t stop. The room is spinning and spinning and Reyna’s face warps into one of Viper and Sage feels like she can’t breathe the air in her lungs is getting tighter why is it so bright she feels so numb so tired so—
“Sage?”
Sage feels herself being pulled back to reality again. She feels so disconnected. Her eyes search Reyna’s for an answer to all the mysteries and conflict she’s swimming in but she finds none. Her own brown eyes are met with Reyna’s concerned, worried expression and Sage feels like crying.
“Did you say something?” Sage flicks her eyes to the joyful swing of the dancers (aka, her friends and colleagues breaking awful dance moves) to force herself to avoid eye contact.
“I was inviting you to leave with me.”
Sage’s heart stops. She forgets about Viper for a second, then the unsettledness comes back like a flash.
“Oh,” she murmurs quietly, brows furrowing and teeth nibbling on her lower lip.
“Is that a yes, cariño? Or a no?”
Reyna is awaiting her response, but Sage’s throat feels clogged up and she can only muster a strangled sob. She sounds so stupid.
Reyna looks confused. Her lips are tilted into a frown and she abandons her glass of wind on the counter, peering at Sage’s eyes with an unfiltered expression of worry. She feels so ridiculous. How awful does she look right now? What, with her reddening cheeks and sniffling nose.
The shame she feels.
“Sage. Tell me what’s wrong,” Reyna prods gently. Sage is so guilty for putting Reyna into that position— they both knew the duelist was no shoulder to lean on.
An almost silent laugh bubbles out of Sage, and Reyna looks incredibly confused.
“Okay. I’ll leave with you.”
They’re walking side-by-side outside of the room, leaving the excited chatter to a serene and calm atmosphere surrounded by shrubbery. The healer takes a wild, erratic breath before rubbing her eyes unceremoniously and plopping herself down on a stone bench.
Reyna follows.
“I do apologise. My mind hasn’t been here recently,” Sage admits, face flushing and leg jittering.
“Elaborate, corazón. It’s not like you to burst into tears like that. Especially in front of me, no less.”
Sage allows herself to laugh. It’s a quick, rush of oxytocin she experiences before settling back down.
“Nothing too important. Work has been stressing me out lately.”
“Don’t lie.”
Sage’s heart skips a beat. She doesn’t want to say, she doesn’t want to confess her shameful feelings and absolute flurry of horrible things she’d say about Viper. Her lower lip pushes up a little and her head ducks down to conceal her guilty expression.
“I’m not lying,” she lies.
“You are. Don’t keep things from me.”
A pause. Sage feels like crying again.
Change of subject.
Kind of.
“How has work been lately?” Sage questions, peering up at Reyna through her lashes quizzically.
“Good.” Is the hesitant response she receives.
“Are you alright?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking that question?”
“I’ve noticed you spending time with Viper recently. Is there something I should know about?”
Reyna looks taken aback, a little offended.
“No. We’ve been discussing what could happen to… Lucia.”
Sage feels a hammer drop in her chest. She is oh-so-mortified at her incredibly selfish behaviour. How dare she make such bold assumptions about Reyna? About her personal life, no less. It was none of her business. It never was. What was she thinking? Her head spins and spins and spins and she feels like crumpling to the floor in vain. Reyna must have noticed since her face morphs into one of horrification.
“You thought— you thought, me and Viper?”
Sage buries her face into her hands and groans exasperatingly.
“I’m sorry! I assumed, since you were always leaving with her, hiding in her lab with her—.”
“Dios mío, Sage.”
Reyna can’t help the haughty grin that appears on her face when she notices Sage’s reddened, embarrassed cheeks that weren’t obscured by her palms.
“Were you jealous?”
Sage flips her head up and looks at Reyna with her mouth wide open.
“Jealous?! I do not get jealous,” she blubbers.
“Aw. No need to be shy about it, come here.”
Sage blanches at that, seeing Reyna’s hand move up to stroke her cheek soothingly— wiping away the pigmented stains her tears had left.
Her heart beats erratically and Sage can sense Reyna moving closer. What’s happening? Less than an hour ago she was crying over Viper and Reyna being a thing. Now? She’s found out their meetings had absolutely nothing to do with feelings and she was just… overreacting.
The healer shuts her eyes instinctively, prepared for Reyna to laugh in her face or jeer at her. Instead, she hears Reyna retract and feels her fingers tangling in Sage’s hair.
“You know me and Viper could never be a thing, right?” She says softly.
Sage opens her eyes and mumbles an incoherent agreement before throwing all her self control out the window.
“How about us?” Sage asks.
A moment of silence.
“Whatever you want, mi amor.”
A kiss. A smug smile of satisfaction and a shy, sweet beam of appreciation.