Work Text:
The shop TV crackles as yet another political ad drones on.
Van scoffs, scoops up a pile of new stock, and listens against her will as she stocks her shelves.
This ad in particular pisses her off.
It shows Tai’s perfect little fucking family; shows her caring, patient, gentle.
Everything she isn’t, really.
It’s bullshit.
A DVD case cracks as Van slams it onto the shelf.
“Fuck,” She mutters, “Get outta my skin, Tai.”
She doesn’t mean it.
Van misses her, maybe more than anything. But she can’t have her.
Not only that, Tai doesn’t want her. Maybe never has.
>>>
With curly hair pulled back, Taissa shuffles towards the video store.
She doesn’t go in, never does, but she just…has to make sure she’s ok.
They live different lives now, she knows. She’s playing the role of dutiful wife, dutiful public servant—
But part of her yearns for a world where this wasn’t how things ended up.
A bigger part of her wishes they were all still back there. When everything made sense. When public perception was all but irrelevant.
Back when Van still loved her.
Taissa shoves her hands in her coat pocket and drifts back home, unseen.