Sudden Magic 21/? by fabala_belle
Title: Sudden Magic 21/?
Rating: PG-13. There's a little nudity.
Summary: Bria finally reads Kalli's note, and Kalli takes a few risks to try to win her back.
Disclaimer: Wicked belongs to Gregory Maguire.
I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve you. I never did, and I’m so sorry.
Bria toyed with the ring, frowning at the piece of paper. It was already splattered and smudged with tears, and now her own tears were adding to it, mangling the words almost beyond recognition.
She slipped the note back into the envelope and set it amongst the flowers. There had been more of them every day, at least one waiting just outside the door for her every time she left the room or came back. Bria had stolen six glasses from the dining hall now, all filled with water and brimming with flowers. There were roses, mostly pink but occasionally white or yellow. There were wildflowers of all types, even though the ground outside was beginning to freeze and there was no evidence of flowers anywhere. There were strangely beautiful flowers that Bria had never seen, with bright petals and twisted stems.
“He must really love you,” Adorae had commented the last time she’d barged into the room, and it had been all Bria could do not to burst into tears then and there.
She squeezed the ring tighter, hurrying to the door to see if the next flower had arrived yet. There was a bouquet of lilies resting just outside of the room, tied in a long, pink ribbon.
He must really love you.
How was Kalli possibly getting all of these flowers? Purchasing so many so close to winter must be incredibly expensive… and the blonde certainly didn’t have the skill in sorcery to make such a selection. Was Liya helping her?
Bria shook her head at the thought. She couldn’t imagine Kalli using Liya to win Bria back… or Liya agreeing to it. Kalli wanted to be forgiven, not to make matters worse.
The brunette pulled the ribbon off of the lilies, tucking them into one of the overflowing cups. She threaded the ring on the ribbon and tied it around her neck, tucking the ring into the front of her shirt.
When she left for class twenty minutes later, there was another strange Ozian flower awaiting her.
***
“How long do you plan on keeping this up?”
Kalli glanced up at Davine before continuing to strip the rose in her lap of its thorns. “As long as I have to.”
“What I mean,” Davine said, staring at Kalli pointedly until the blonde looked up again, “is when are you going to stop leaving flowers and actually talk to her?”
Kalli bit her lip. “When I feel like I can, I guess.”
“You should do it soon.”
Kalli suddenly cried out in pain as her finger slipped and caught on one of the thorns.
“Do it today,” Davine insisted as Kalli inspected her finger.
“I can’t.”
“You have to.” Davine snatched the rose away, finishing with the thorns. “You need to bring this and actually knock on her door this time and tell her what you need to say.”
“What do I need to say?”
“I don’t know.” Davine handed the rose back to Kalli before getting up to leave. “But you do.”
***
Kalli had been expecting it, but she still jumped when Bria opened her door. She had been in the process of leaning down to leave the rose when she was suddenly aware of Bria’s favorite scuffed sneakers just beside her.
“Kalli,” Bria said in a tone that the blonde couldn’t interpret. Surprise, certainly, but was she happy to see her? Upset?
Kalli rose to her feet, keeping the flower close to her. “I… You have class now.”
“So do you,” Bria replied pointedly. “Sorcery.”
“I haven’t been since…”
“Me neither.”
They faced each other in silence for far too long. Kalli couldn’t help noting the sadness in Bria’s eyes, and she was preparing herself to turn and walk away when the brunette finally spoke.
“Come in, then, if we both aren’t going.”
Kalli followed her, offering the rose as she closed the door. The room was almost empty, with most of Bria’s possessions still in suitcases. Was she planning to move back? The only part of the room that looked lived in was the desk, which was laden with glasses overflowing with flowers. “You’ve kept them?”
“Yes.” Bria bit her lip. “You shouldn’t miss class, Kalli.”
“I’ve dropped sorcery,” Kalli admitted. “I wasn’t ever going to be any good at it. And I just can’t, Bria. I can’t go back.”
Bria nodded, taking a seat on her bed and motioning stiffly for Kalli to do the same. “We should talk.”
“Bria, I’m so sorry.”
The brunette closed her eyes. “Before you start apologizing, just answer three questions for me, will you?”
“I…” Kalli busied herself with staring at her skirt. She could only imagine what the questions might be, and every new idea was more horrible than the last.
“Please,” Bria pleaded. “They’re tormenting me.”
“All right.” Kalli raised her eyes, forcing herself to meet Bria’s gaze.
“Did you… Do you love her?”
“I thought I did,” Kalli whispered, her voice suddenly sounding almost hoarse. “Back when I first told you I had feelings for her. I don’t think I actually did.”
“And now?”
“There’s no loving anyone but you,” she said a little louder, wishing that she could reach out and just touch Bria, but the other girl clearly wasn’t finished.
“Why did you let her touch you? I can understand letting her kiss you, I suppose, but you didn’t want me touching you.”
Bria looked so hurt that Kalli visibly cringed. “Kissing her was just exciting, that’s all. It was a mistake, I shouldn’t have…” She took a deep breath, keeping her eyes trained on Bria’s. “She wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t stop her.”
Something shifted in Bria’s eyes, turning to alarm. “Did she hurt you?”
“No. But I hurt you.” Kalli closed her eyes for a moment before raising her hands to the top button of her blouse.
“What are you doing?” Bria breathed as the blonde fumbled with her buttons.
Kalli worked as quickly as she could, determined to be done with it before she could change her mind. “Being honest with you.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Bria said quickly as Kalli slipped out of her shirt.
“I do.” Kalli unhooked her bra and pulled it off, her hands trembling. “Look,” she whispered when she noticed Bria staring uncomfortably at the other side of the room.
“Kalli.”
“Please.”
Bria allowed herself to look down, gasping. “If Liya did that to you, I swear…”
“She didn’t,” Kalli said, watching as Bria’s eyes traced the scar. It began on her left side, just below her breast, and left a trail of mottled skin that slashed upwards on a diagonal. “My mother did.”
“Oh, Kalli…”
“I was little, and she burned me.”
“Kalli.” Bria reached out to wrap her arms around her, running her fingers lightly over her bare back.
“I couldn’t let you see it.” Kalli buried her face in Bria’s shoulder, digging her fingers into the fabric on the brunette’s shirt. “I couldn’t, and then Liya wouldn’t stop… She told me I was pretty, but if she’d seen…”
Bria pressed her lips lightly to Kalli’s cheek. “You’re beautiful,” she said, kissing Kalli’s bare shoulder next. “No matter what.”
“I love you so much. I could never love anyone else like this.”
“I know,” Bria whispered, retrieving Kalli’s bra and pulling away from her just enough to put it back on. “I love you, too.” She wrapped the blonde back in her shirt, leaving the buttons alone for the moment. “Why did you give Adorae hints about you being the Witch’s daughter?”
Kalli smiled slightly. “I needed to convince her to tell me where I could find you.”
Bria grinned, pulling Kalli back in again and kissing her lightly. “I’ve missed you.”
“You should move back in,” Kalli said as boldly as she could. “I’ve decided that I’m not going home for the winter… I just can’t, not with my dad being the way he is. We’ll have weeks to ourselves.”
“I’ll move back in right now,” Bria told her, “but I’m going home for the break.”
“Oh.” Kalli frowned, but Bria offered up another kiss.
“You should come with me. I’m sure my parents would love to meet you.”
Kalli shifted in Bria’s arms, leaning against her. “I’d like that.”
Kalli’s weight pressed the ring hanging around Bria’s neck into her skin, and the brunette quickly untied the ribbon, retrieving the ring. “I almost forgot. I believe this is yours.” She held out the ring, and Kalli smiled up at her.
“You kept that, too. And you wore it.”
“I love you.” She slid the ring onto Kalli’s finger. “Help me carry my stuff.”
Rating: PG-13. There's a little nudity.
Summary: Bria finally reads Kalli's note, and Kalli takes a few risks to try to win her back.
Disclaimer: Wicked belongs to Gregory Maguire.
I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve you. I never did, and I’m so sorry.
Bria toyed with the ring, frowning at the piece of paper. It was already splattered and smudged with tears, and now her own tears were adding to it, mangling the words almost beyond recognition.
She slipped the note back into the envelope and set it amongst the flowers. There had been more of them every day, at least one waiting just outside the door for her every time she left the room or came back. Bria had stolen six glasses from the dining hall now, all filled with water and brimming with flowers. There were roses, mostly pink but occasionally white or yellow. There were wildflowers of all types, even though the ground outside was beginning to freeze and there was no evidence of flowers anywhere. There were strangely beautiful flowers that Bria had never seen, with bright petals and twisted stems.
“He must really love you,” Adorae had commented the last time she’d barged into the room, and it had been all Bria could do not to burst into tears then and there.
She squeezed the ring tighter, hurrying to the door to see if the next flower had arrived yet. There was a bouquet of lilies resting just outside of the room, tied in a long, pink ribbon.
He must really love you.
How was Kalli possibly getting all of these flowers? Purchasing so many so close to winter must be incredibly expensive… and the blonde certainly didn’t have the skill in sorcery to make such a selection. Was Liya helping her?
Bria shook her head at the thought. She couldn’t imagine Kalli using Liya to win Bria back… or Liya agreeing to it. Kalli wanted to be forgiven, not to make matters worse.
The brunette pulled the ribbon off of the lilies, tucking them into one of the overflowing cups. She threaded the ring on the ribbon and tied it around her neck, tucking the ring into the front of her shirt.
When she left for class twenty minutes later, there was another strange Ozian flower awaiting her.
***
“How long do you plan on keeping this up?”
Kalli glanced up at Davine before continuing to strip the rose in her lap of its thorns. “As long as I have to.”
“What I mean,” Davine said, staring at Kalli pointedly until the blonde looked up again, “is when are you going to stop leaving flowers and actually talk to her?”
Kalli bit her lip. “When I feel like I can, I guess.”
“You should do it soon.”
Kalli suddenly cried out in pain as her finger slipped and caught on one of the thorns.
“Do it today,” Davine insisted as Kalli inspected her finger.
“I can’t.”
“You have to.” Davine snatched the rose away, finishing with the thorns. “You need to bring this and actually knock on her door this time and tell her what you need to say.”
“What do I need to say?”
“I don’t know.” Davine handed the rose back to Kalli before getting up to leave. “But you do.”
***
Kalli had been expecting it, but she still jumped when Bria opened her door. She had been in the process of leaning down to leave the rose when she was suddenly aware of Bria’s favorite scuffed sneakers just beside her.
“Kalli,” Bria said in a tone that the blonde couldn’t interpret. Surprise, certainly, but was she happy to see her? Upset?
Kalli rose to her feet, keeping the flower close to her. “I… You have class now.”
“So do you,” Bria replied pointedly. “Sorcery.”
“I haven’t been since…”
“Me neither.”
They faced each other in silence for far too long. Kalli couldn’t help noting the sadness in Bria’s eyes, and she was preparing herself to turn and walk away when the brunette finally spoke.
“Come in, then, if we both aren’t going.”
Kalli followed her, offering the rose as she closed the door. The room was almost empty, with most of Bria’s possessions still in suitcases. Was she planning to move back? The only part of the room that looked lived in was the desk, which was laden with glasses overflowing with flowers. “You’ve kept them?”
“Yes.” Bria bit her lip. “You shouldn’t miss class, Kalli.”
“I’ve dropped sorcery,” Kalli admitted. “I wasn’t ever going to be any good at it. And I just can’t, Bria. I can’t go back.”
Bria nodded, taking a seat on her bed and motioning stiffly for Kalli to do the same. “We should talk.”
“Bria, I’m so sorry.”
The brunette closed her eyes. “Before you start apologizing, just answer three questions for me, will you?”
“I…” Kalli busied herself with staring at her skirt. She could only imagine what the questions might be, and every new idea was more horrible than the last.
“Please,” Bria pleaded. “They’re tormenting me.”
“All right.” Kalli raised her eyes, forcing herself to meet Bria’s gaze.
“Did you… Do you love her?”
“I thought I did,” Kalli whispered, her voice suddenly sounding almost hoarse. “Back when I first told you I had feelings for her. I don’t think I actually did.”
“And now?”
“There’s no loving anyone but you,” she said a little louder, wishing that she could reach out and just touch Bria, but the other girl clearly wasn’t finished.
“Why did you let her touch you? I can understand letting her kiss you, I suppose, but you didn’t want me touching you.”
Bria looked so hurt that Kalli visibly cringed. “Kissing her was just exciting, that’s all. It was a mistake, I shouldn’t have…” She took a deep breath, keeping her eyes trained on Bria’s. “She wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t stop her.”
Something shifted in Bria’s eyes, turning to alarm. “Did she hurt you?”
“No. But I hurt you.” Kalli closed her eyes for a moment before raising her hands to the top button of her blouse.
“What are you doing?” Bria breathed as the blonde fumbled with her buttons.
Kalli worked as quickly as she could, determined to be done with it before she could change her mind. “Being honest with you.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Bria said quickly as Kalli slipped out of her shirt.
“I do.” Kalli unhooked her bra and pulled it off, her hands trembling. “Look,” she whispered when she noticed Bria staring uncomfortably at the other side of the room.
“Kalli.”
“Please.”
Bria allowed herself to look down, gasping. “If Liya did that to you, I swear…”
“She didn’t,” Kalli said, watching as Bria’s eyes traced the scar. It began on her left side, just below her breast, and left a trail of mottled skin that slashed upwards on a diagonal. “My mother did.”
“Oh, Kalli…”
“I was little, and she burned me.”
“Kalli.” Bria reached out to wrap her arms around her, running her fingers lightly over her bare back.
“I couldn’t let you see it.” Kalli buried her face in Bria’s shoulder, digging her fingers into the fabric on the brunette’s shirt. “I couldn’t, and then Liya wouldn’t stop… She told me I was pretty, but if she’d seen…”
Bria pressed her lips lightly to Kalli’s cheek. “You’re beautiful,” she said, kissing Kalli’s bare shoulder next. “No matter what.”
“I love you so much. I could never love anyone else like this.”
“I know,” Bria whispered, retrieving Kalli’s bra and pulling away from her just enough to put it back on. “I love you, too.” She wrapped the blonde back in her shirt, leaving the buttons alone for the moment. “Why did you give Adorae hints about you being the Witch’s daughter?”
Kalli smiled slightly. “I needed to convince her to tell me where I could find you.”
Bria grinned, pulling Kalli back in again and kissing her lightly. “I’ve missed you.”
“You should move back in,” Kalli said as boldly as she could. “I’ve decided that I’m not going home for the winter… I just can’t, not with my dad being the way he is. We’ll have weeks to ourselves.”
“I’ll move back in right now,” Bria told her, “but I’m going home for the break.”
“Oh.” Kalli frowned, but Bria offered up another kiss.
“You should come with me. I’m sure my parents would love to meet you.”
Kalli shifted in Bria’s arms, leaning against her. “I’d like that.”
Kalli’s weight pressed the ring hanging around Bria’s neck into her skin, and the brunette quickly untied the ribbon, retrieving the ring. “I almost forgot. I believe this is yours.” She held out the ring, and Kalli smiled up at her.
“You kept that, too. And you wore it.”
“I love you.” She slid the ring onto Kalli’s finger. “Help me carry my stuff.”