Work Text:
A middle aged woman sits on the edge of a bathtub, a cigarette in her hand. She ruffles up her short hair, letting out a long sigh. She shoots a glance over at the companion sitting on the toilet seat. The other woman, younger and definitely more lively, picks at the wounds around her lips. Words wildly spew from her mouth, rarely, she stops to hiss and flinch from the pain, yet still continues on with her rambling.
“That’s going to get infected if you don’t stop doing that.”
The homeowner interrupts the girl, earning a questioning look.
“Wrwm'g tvg zmb lu gszg, uirvmw.” she shakes her head.
(Didn’t get any of that, friend.)
“Your mouth?” she says, pointing at her mouth, then at her guest’s.
“Ls, nb nlfgs? Uli z hvxlmw R gslftsg.. szs mvevi nrmw gszg'h hroob. Yfg blf wl szev hslig szri zmw.. zmw gszg dlnzm lm gsv kligizrg..dszgvevi..” awkwardly chuckling, she picks up a gauze from the med kit lying on the floor, dabbing at the punctures.
(Oh, my mouth? For a second I thought.. hah never mind that's silly. But you do have short hair and.. and that woman on the portrait..whatever..)
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Dszg?”
(What?)
“Nothing, just…wait here.”
The woman walks out the room, rubbing her temples. She throws the cigarette on the floor, stomping it with her boot. She reaches for the door handle of the kitchen, but before she could open it, she hears the bathroom door slamming shut and that same voice behind her.
“Svb R'n hliib wrw R fkhvg blf? Dsviv ziv blf tlrmt?”
(Hey I’m sorry did I upset you? Where are you going?)
The young woman places her palm on the homeowner’s shoulder, giving her an apologetic smile. Looking back, the woman’s shoulders slump and she opens her mouth to send her guest back but whats the point? The girl doesn’t know a word of Russian anyway.
❥
Inside the kitchen the gals stand in front of the open fridge. The protagonist takes out two beers, handing one over to the other woman standing beside her.
“Ls R wlm'g wirmp.” she puts her arms in front of herself, shaking her head.
(Oh I don’t drink.)
“Don’t drink? That’s too bad, the water’s dirty. No other choice.”
She puts the beer can on top of the kitchen table, closing the fridge. Walking over to the sink, she turns the faucet on.
“See? God knows what’s in those pipes.”
“Ufxp..Xzm'g vevm wirmp dzgvi zmbnliv!”
(Fuck..Can’t even drink water anymore!)
frustrated, she glances back at the beer sitting on the table.
“Vddd..rh yvvi zoo blf szev?..” she grimaces, walking back towards the fridge, before jumping back, slamming herself against the homeowner.
(Ewww..is beer all you have?)
“Ls nb tlw rh gszg z xlxpilzxs?!” she shrieks, holding the older woman’s collar.
(Oh my god is that a cockroach?!)
“Woah, careful there, lady!”
A cockroach runs out of the fridge, hiding under the kitchen counter.
“Oh. Yeah, sorry about that.”
“Distghusting!”
“So you know how to say that but not thank you?” letting out a muffled snicker, she walks over to the kitchen table, sitting down and grabbing her beer can.
“Rg'h mlg ufmmb, gszg orggov yrgxs kilyzyob hsrgh rm blfi ullw li hlnvgsrmt.. Zdufo!” she complains, sitting on the chair beside the homeowner.
(It's not funny, that little bitch probably shits in your food or something.. Awful!)
The latter smiles, narrowing her eyes and taking a good look of the woman she let in. Her guest opens the beer with her thumb, revealing a silver ring on it. With widened eyes, the homeowner stares at it for a good while, before looking at the side, nervously tapping her finger against the can in her hands. The last time she ever saw a ring like that was..was when she was still with Vera. Glancing back at the young woman in front of her, her round face, curly hair and lips that seem to always pout just a little bit, her face, her mannerism, all of it hitting the homeowner in the head with painful memories. When she was just a college student, partying her life away. Giggling and making out in the college bathroom or getting drunk in Vera’s apartment. Quite a lot of time has passed since someone talked over beer with her, especially someone like her. Raising her eyes back at her guest, a blush creeps up her cheeks and she looks away once again, taking a sip out of her beer. Rapidly stomping her feet, she chokes on the beverage, coughing.
“Dszg'h dilmt? Rh gszg gsv xlxpilzxs hsrg rm bz wirmp?”
(What's wrong? Is that the cockroach shit in ya drink?)
Covering her mouth, the foreigner lets out a laugh. The homeowner composes herself, a few chuckles escaping her mouth too.
“Uvvoh tllw dsvm R xzm gvzhv blf zmw blf wlm'g vevm pmld dszg R'n hzbrmt. R dlmwvi ru blf ziv wlrmt gsv hznv? Mlg nfxs lu z gzopvi blf ziv, gslfts.”
(Feels good when I can tease you and you don't even know what I'm saying. I wonder if you are doing the same? Not much of a talker you are, though.)
“R orpv gszg.”
(I like that.)
Giving the homeowner a smile she shifts her weight and inches closer to the older woman.
“Fank yew!”
At a loss for words, the protagonist just hums in response, nodding and taking another sip out of her beer.
“Ivzoob tozw gszg lfg lu vevib slfhv r pmlxpvw lm rg dzh blf gszg ovg nv rm.”
(Really glad that out of every house i knocked on it was you that let me in.)
The girl fiddles the beer can around, watching the other woman drink hers. Reluctantly, the gal mirrors the homeowner, bringing the can to her mouth.
“R'ev gzhgvw kfhhrvh yvggvi gszm gsrh yvvi..”
(I've tasted pussies better than this beer..)
She wipes the beer off her mouth, hissing at the pain. Her wounds reopen, blood starts to trickle down her chin. Standing up from the seat the homeowner rushes to the bathroom, retrieving the med kit.
“Talk some more and these will get swollen.”
she chastises, wiping the blood away with a sterile napkin. The girl looks up at the homeowner, blinking repeatedly in confusion. The homeowner brings her finger to her lips, making a shushing gesture. Her guest furrows her brows and she rolls her eyes.
“I’m serious.”
She puts her arm on the young woman’s shoulder, the other on her chin, rotating the foreigner’s head so their eyes meet.
“Stay still.”
Continuing to clean blood around the girl’s mouth, she notices the redness in her guest’s cheekbones. The weight of her stare making the homeowner’s shoulders stiffen. Dabbing around the already clean skin she absentmindedly stays just inches away from the younger woman’s face. Realising that, she straightens her back, the warmth radiating off the foreigner’s body fades away, yet her eyes still follow the homeowner. The young woman whispers something to herself, looking away and covering her mouth with both of her hands. Sensing that it’s time to leave the protagonist opens the kitchen door and steps outside.
“Dzrg..”
(Wait..)
Swiftly turning around, as if she was waiting to be stopped, the homeowner looks up at the green eyes gazing at her.
“Yvuliv blf tl..R mvevi tlg blfi mznv.. Blfi uhm nhame?”
(Before you go..I never got your name..)
“My name?”
“Bvh bvh blfi mznv.”
(Yes yes your name.)
“Marya.”
..
“And yours?”
“Denola!” a cheerful grin appears on her face, warming the homeowner’s chest.
“Ls ls zmw blf xzm zohl xzoo nv uhh.. პატარავ!”
(Oh oh and you can call me uhh.. baby!)
“That’s a long name.”
“ პატარავ, პატა-რავ”
“პატარავ?”
The foreigner’s expression changes to a more teasing smirk, but she tries her best to suppress it, since if she smiles any wider her wounds might open again. For a few seconds they stand there, smiling and looking at each other, before a knock sounds at the door, making both of them turn their heads towards the door.
❥