Work Text:
“I’m Sorry”
Her words stabbed through your heart like the sharpest knife and you couldn’t stop yourself from immediately leaning forward and hugging her. Tears filled your eyes at the thought of Rhea hurting herself again.
The first time you found out she had done it was when she confronted you about seeing your own cuts. You still remember that entire conversation. How she had cried over you hurting yourself, she held you like you were going to fall apart if she let go and she sobbed like you had never seen her before. Given, you hadn’t seen her cry much before that but it still broke your heart to hear her voice shake and crack when she told you
“I love you so much… You know that”
You got your brain to stop thinking about the past and start to remember that Rhea still had open wounds on her arms and hands. You pulled away from the hug, looking Rhea in the eyes. She stepped back, allowing you to come inside her apartment and she closed the door, the air immediately becoming warmer instead of the freezing cold air as the storm raged outside.
“Can I..?” You ask, gesturing to her arms and she turns on the light in the kitchen so you can see. She holds out her arms and you see the blood that had been dripping down them for who knows how long now. You tried your best not to cry as your head raged about how you could’ve prevented this if you had just stayed with her instead of being selfish and going home.
Rhea’s hands shook and you could feel the shame radiating off of her. You put on a tough face and tried your best to stay calm and keep her calm as well. She was staring wide-eyed at her arms, terrified of what she’d done.
“I… I didn’t really realize what I was doing until it got to this point…” She told you, her voice sounding afraid in her attempt to not cry. You didn’t know what to say. You understood how she felt and your empathy and experience stopped you from feeling disappointed in her. If anything, you were more mad at Charlotte for causing all this. If she’d maybe used more actual wrestling moves instead of just targeting her knee the whole time, maybe Rhea wouldn’t feel as ashamed.
“Rhea… I don’t know… I don’t know what to think… O-Or say, or feel. I just… I don’t know” You say to her. She limps to her bathroom and retrieves a couple band aids. She washes her arms in the sink, just to clean up most of the blood, and then sits down with you on the couch.
You cover her wounds as best as you can and make sure the gauze are taped securely. After that, you and Rhea just sit. Eyes fixed on your hands, of which hold hers.
“I’m not mad at you… If that’s what you’re thinking… I can’t be mad at you for something like this… It wouldn't be right” You say. You look into her eyes but she doesn’t look back, seeming lost in her own mind, still staring at your hands intertwined with her own that haven’t stopped trembling.
You look at her again and see that she’s started crying again. You take her in your arms and place a hand on the back of her head. She wraps her arms around you and begins to sob, her head tucked into your chest. You want to tell her it’s okay, even though you both know it probably isn't. You run your fingers through her hair, your heart not able to take the sound of her weeping.
Instead, you just sit there. You hold her until she falls quiet and you realize that she’s asleep. You lean back to lay down on the couch and fall asleep with her in your arms, deciding that the rest of this is something to deal with tomorrow.
Until then, you just listen to the sounds of the rain outside and hope to be okay one day.