tethysimani:
Abi sits heavily on Kiara’s bed, her legs feeling less trustworthy than they did a moment ago. Her anxious hand smoothes down the creases in the bedsheet closest to her as her mind whirrs, looking everywhere but at Kiara. She feels broken open and she doesn’t want the other woman to see whatever is on her face right now, as her curls fall forward like a shield.
“Oh,” she says, eyes sliding to the window and the view that’s become so familiar to her over the past years. Is this the last time she’ll step foot in this apartment, her second home in what was once an overwhelmingly unfamiliar city? How can she keep going in Chicago at all, when it’s only ever been half-her’s, half-Kiara’s?
With a deep breath she forces herself to look back at her friend, and whatever horrible conversation they need to have to stop her from leaving. At the sight of Kiara’s worried, soft, utterly lovely face something in Abigail twists. She moves towards her across the bed, taking the other woman’s hands into her own and squeezing. “Kiara,” she says, voice rough to her own ears. “You don’t need to do that. I’ll take care of you.” She tenses as if Kiara’s imaginary foes are in the room with them, something vicious and protective rising up in her so suddenly she’s dizzy with the feeling. “You know I can do it. I would never let anyone touch you.”
Kiara didn’t want to watch the play of emotions flicker across Abigail’s face, but she felt like it was the least she could do when she was planning to cut and run before calling to explain. Would she have even called to explain?
Abigail’s hands were soft, as they should be. Kiara was meant to do the heavy lifting, her hands scared from being split over and over on jaws and walls and pesky King problems.Abigail always touched her as if she were something delicate, and it ached, because Kiara had never had the chance to be fragile. She wondered what it would be like to properly fall apart in front of someone else.
Kiara couldn’t help but smile almost sadly at her desperate assertion. But it wasn’t because she thought Abigail wouldn’t be able to; no, Kiara was more than certain Abigail would do exactly as she promised. It was more that Kiara was so focused on keeping her safe, that giving Abigail her burdens seemed counter intuitive.
Again as she gently curled her fingers around Abigail’s, she felt that age old tension strung up between them. But this was not the moment Kiara took the other in her arms and kissed her; there would be no grand declaration before she disappeared into the night. It wasn’t the right time. Kiara had a feeling there would never be an appropriate moment for them.
“There are things you shouldn’t have to handle for me,” Kiara said gently. “I wouldn’t ask you to stand between me and my mistakes. Do you know what it would do to me if you were hurt?” she asked seriously, looking down at their hands to escape the heat and fervor in Abigail’s eyes.
