Work Text:
Emily was never the type to slack or fall behind with anything she got involved in. She knew exactly what she was signing up for when committing to Runway; sacrificing your own mental and physical wellbeing to look ‘perfect’ and the grueling hours of work put into erratic errands ran at the most inconvenient times of the day. All of this was a part of the job, and if you couldn’t keep up, you’d be immediately replaced within a blink of an eye.
The past 7 assistants that Emily had tried to train ever since Andrea left had been too incompetent, too slow, or had breathed the wrong way for Miranda’s liking. Emily would rather die than say to her face, but ever since Andrea had quit on the job, things weren’t the same. How she even got hired in the first place for those hideous, shameful clothes Emily will never know. Or how she didn’t get fired taking 3 months to learn how to walk in heels properly, despite all of these things, Andrea had made a lasting impression on her that they could be considered .. ‘friends’. Emily still won’t forgive Andrea for Paris of course, but she can manage talking to her. After all, she lives with her now. Emily has no recollection of any of it though, except for:
“Please, Emily! You need the help! You can’t do everything by yourself.” referring to helping Emily adjust to walking with crutches and overall housekeeping for the two of them. Andrea owed it to her anyway for the car crash, and Emily hated to admit, but she truly needed the extra help. So Emily with great amounts of hesitancy and doubt agreed to it, even if a 100 thoughts in her mind were racing around to not let her in.
It had been the end of the work week now, completely and utterly exhausted from it all, more exhausted than usual even. Emily still had a long way to go from home and was already daydreaming about passing away for a proper 9 hours if she wasn’t called in to work unpromptedly. Opening the front of her apartment door, she knocked on the firm door in front of her, waiting for Andrea to come.
“Coming, Em!” Andrea had exclaimed, her voice echoing, travelling throughout the apartment.
“Hurry up! I don’t have all day to wait around for you. You have no excuse to be so agonizingly slow when you’re able to walk perfectly fine without these bloody crutches.” She stared down at her feet, getting increasingly more and more impatient with the brunette behind the door.
The door finally had swung open, with Emily’s eyes immediately locked in to what Andrea was wearing for that night. A grey Northwestern hoodie two sizes too big for her, accompanied with darker sweats.
What an unfortunate sight to the eyes Emily thought to herself.
Goddamnit Andrea, did you learn nothing from your time at Runway? You don’t have an awful looking face. Maybe a pretty face, a gorgeous one even.
“Uh, Emily? You there?” Andrea waves her hand in front of her face.
Wait what?
“I know it’s been a long day, let me take your crutches for you.” Holding the door open with one hand, she extends the other to reach for both of Emily’s crutches.
“Excuse you, I need those.”
“Oh.. right!” Andrea chuckles, immediately dropping her hand and now fully opening the door wide open to let Emily in. The entrance of their apartment was illuminated with a tall white lamp. Not too overpowering as Andrea and Emily refused to ever turn on the big lights in their own apartments. Andrea had quickly followed behind at an arms length, making sure Emily didn't struggle more walking into her room.
“God, quit following me around would you? I told you I needed help but I didn’t need you dangling by my side at all times.”
“Sorry sorry! I’ll let you change. I’m only just worried about you Em.”
Emily’s gaze lingers onto her for a little too long, touched from Andrea’s statement before quickly turning away and slamming the door onto her face.
Finally, some solitude.
Emily then started undressing, taking her time not to ruin anything that she had worn before and placing it neatly in her dirty laundry basket. She took the more comfortable clothes that Andrea had seemingly already laid out for her before she got home. Emily had to admit though that Andrea’s wardrobe is more comfortable, but she’d rather die than be seen wearing these clothes, would rather set them on fire outside if she could.
God, just take me out of my misery.
Feeling trapped and not knowing what to do, she tried closing her eyes to drift off early. Completely disregarding eating for the night. She then started to sniffle, under the presumption that she can just brush it off and blow her nose later. Before she knew it, Emily could feel tears swelling in her eyes. Slowly dripping down to the sides of her face. Her feelings got the better of her as she finally gave up on holding back, now sobbing into the face of her pillow.
Knock, knock!
“Emily? Are you okay?”
Andrea was met with silence, deafening overwhelming silence that had increased the barrier between her and Emily.
“Em, if you don’t answer, I’m going to let myself in. Please.”
“Go away, Andrea!”
“I’m coming in.”
Taking a hold of the handle, she slowly turned it clockwise to let herself in, making sure the door didn’t start to creek. Andrea’s eyes had landed onto where Emily had resided herself for the night. There she found her curled up to the side up to her knees, hiding her face and holding on tight to her pillow.
“Emily…” Andrea muttered, fidgeting with her hands not knowing exactly what to do or say in the moment.’’
“Didn’t I tell you to go away!? This is my room! Get out.”
“I told you I just want to help. Please?”
Emily had no strength to fight back onto Andrea’s relentless pleas anymore, reducing herself to a shaking, whimpering mess. Andrea thought of her next move carefully. She had never seen Emily like this, the only times similar to this was when she was being kicked out of Emily’s hospital room. But even then, Emily was just frustrated at her, she had never seen her so sorrowful, so helpless. Andrea took a deep breath before slowly walking over to the edge of the bed, gently wrapping both arms around Emily into an embrace. She made sure not to disturb her more than she already had, softly running her fingers through the silky hair in front of her.
“I don’t really want to discuss work.” There’s a pause, a shudder in her voice before Emily begins again.
“Just a regular day, or at least what is considered normal at Runway. God, I feel embarrassed! I should be able to take this just fine I don’t know what’s wrong with me toda-”
“Nothing is wrong with you, Emily.”
Emily rolls her eyes and scoffs.
“Everyone deserves a break, Em, even you. It’ll be okay.” She takes the leap to fully guide Emily’s head to her chest so she could be more comfortable. Emily starts up again, she can’t stop from trembling. She can’t stop herself from going back to old habits and conceal whatever she’s feeling, she can’t help any of it, after all, that’s what she's expected to do. And Andrea welcomes it all in. Continuing the same motion of running her fingers through her hair back and forth, while her other hand is occupied with rubbing her back. This prolongs for some time before Andrea looks down to see Emily’s eyes closed, breath finally steady.
“Emily?” She whispers
“Have you fallen asleep?” Andrea is met with silence.
She lets out a sigh of relief, beginning to start up again.
“I know your tendency of constantly pushing me away–well–pushing everyone away, and you’re not the most welcoming. But you know.. I really do care about you.” Andrea looks down again, double checking if Emily really is asleep before looking up to the ceiling, closing her eyes.
“Truly. I think you have a soft spot and you just don’t know it. You didn’t have to let me move in with you but you did. Doing all of this for you, taking care of you like this makes me happy. Even if you weren’t injured, I would still like to. I want you to know your worth and..” Andrea finally opens her eyes to admire Emily, when suddenly her gaze is locked with Emily’s.
“Well? Are you going to keep going?”
“Oh my god, Emily! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to–”
Emily cuts her off as she starts bursting into a cackle, unable to contain her laughter and snortles. Andrea on the other hand stares off into space, wallowing in her shame and rethinking every single life decision that she has ever made in her life.
“You know, I’m not an idiot, Andrea.” She looks up from Andrea’s chest, now smiling at her.
“I can tell that you’ve liked me.”
Fuck my life.
“How long have you known!?” Andrea stills in her place, completely frozen and in shock
“That isn’t important.”
“I’m so sorry again. I know this makes you uncomfortable, it wasn’t ideal for me to start blabbering like that.”
“Oh shut up, Andrea” She bites back, not missing a beat.
“You always blabber on no matter what. Besides..” Emily finally moves, reaching her hand out to pull Andrea closer by the back of her neck. Both her and Andrea infatuated with each other's lips.
“I think you and I want the same thing.”