Work Text:
-MAXIE-
Classes had just ended, i was tired, nothing significant had happened, but the monotone routine of classes along with the meaningless talk with people who considered me their friends exhausted my battery day after day, i was coming back to my appartment trough a narrow street because it usually felt safer than having to cross a big street without any traffic lights where big trucks passed by at speeds higher than the speed limit of 80km/hr because ,who cares about the pedestrians!?
This time it was darker than usual as winter approaches and it was really scary, but my mind was mostly distracted thinking about our appartment and Frai, i had met them about 5 months ago and i barely knew them, i kept thinking about the possibility of trying to know them and their friends better considering my own social life was in downfall since i came out as trans, i was lost in thought and without even realizing, i had already arrived at the appartment.
"Frai!?" I call out as i close the door behind me, i received no response so i just assumed they were at their room focused on a drawing or napping, either way i went to my room and got more comfortable for a few minutes, i grab my pijamas and take off some of my clothes as i aproached the bathroom and open the door.
-LILA-
The package i had ordered for frai a month ago had just arrived,i was supposed to give it to them on their birthday but it hadn't arrived yet so i was forced to give them some cool jacket for now, the gift is a long cat plushie, similar to their long dog plushie they had, it's personalised to be similar to one of their cat OCs, that's why it took so long, but i was confident they would love it and it would reassure them that they are loved and valuable.
As i started wrapping the gift i started thinking on how the interaction would go, they really mean a lot to me, i had honestly, not stopped being in love with them after our brief phase together as partners as 16 year olds, i hated so much that i wasn't there constantly to lift them up and push their dark thoughts away.
I finished wrapping the gift and went to change clothes to get ready for the surprise visit to their appartment, i kept having memories of important moments in our lifes, how their would steal phones from our caretakers at 13 and played together, how we almost started a forest fire and another kid got the blame at 14, my coming out as lesbian and theirs as non-binary at 15, the various instances we maked out before, during and after our "experimentation" at 15 and 16.
I kept reliving wonferful moments and before i realize i'm already at the door of their appartment, i breathe to put myself together as i ring the doorbell with determination.
-FRAI-
The sound of the shower faded more and more into the background as i kept cutting my skin, weaker and weaker each time ,how did i allow myself to do this? i kept spiraling as the door opened and my eyes closed at the sudden exposure to light, the knife on my hand drops to the bathtub as i try to process what's happening, it's Maxie, he opened the door to the bathroom, holding a towel and clothing in his arms , he looks shocked and i realize with the light now coming in that the water is almost completely red with my blood and the bathtub is overflowing with the running water.
"FRAI!!??is that BLOOD? OMG...PLEASE talk to ME!!!" I'm still disoriented by the light, the blood and the realization that i'm bleeding way more than i planned to.
"Uh...i feel weak" is all i manage to say at the moment, he quickly rushes in, dripoing what he had in his arms to stop the running water and lift me up with some difficulties
"Frai, omg, i'm stopping the blood and taking you to the hospital! please stay with me!"
As he sits me in the toilet and grabs his pajama shirt he had trown to the floor to wrap it around my arm and tie it up with pressure to stop most of the bleeding that came from 2 cuts on my wrist. He turns the light on and partially cleans me up with a towel to see if i'm still bleeding from anywhere else, he sees i'm stable so he takes a big relieving breath.
"Frai, what happened? keep talking to me, let's get you out of here" as he helped me walk there was a ring in the door wich we ignored as he sat me in a better chair but then
"Frai, are you awake?"
It's Lila , she's here, i feel a massive wave of shame and guilt as i realize what could've happened, i could've left her behind...
"Open the door, please"
Maxie runs to the door and quickly opens it, Lila look at me, i see how the smile on her lips quickly fades and she puts a big gift she was carrying to the side as she rushes to hug me
"OMG,BABY, are you OK!?? PLS talk to ME...WHAT HAPPENED????
She's so worried, she's crying and i'm crying too, i feel incredibly ashamed
"I'm so sorry...i guess i tried to leave"
Those are the words that come out of my mouth, i feel weak, this doesn't feel real and i'm barely thinking.
"Please don't apologize, baby... i'm here now, i'm sorry for not being here for you, for making you feel like you-...can you walk?"
"Yeah...Lila,i really love you"
"I love you too, Frai, take my hand, you are so cold, let's get you warm and dried up ok?"
"Ok"
Maxie called an ambulence, put the big gift in the table and went to the bathroom to get the knife from the bathtub
Lila rubbed all of my body with a towel and got a med kit to properly bandage some of the cuts and clean me up fully before wrapping me with a towel
I felt like i was in a nightmare and a dream at the same time, everything felt subreal and loud, i almost destroyed myself but i felt loved, they were taking care of me so efficiently and they made me feel like somehow, they would always be there for me, that this was not the end i thought it would be, i would stay alive,because they would make sure of it, when the ambulence arrived, both of them went with me, i was the most tired i've ever been but then she asked me something
"Can i kiss you?"
I smile, my eyes snap open and i say, with a faint voice
"Of couse you can, my love*
She kisses me briefly, but it feels ethernal, i feel
Real again,and i tell myself, with newfound hope,
Tomorrow will be another day