Elena nodded, swallowing past a lump in her throat. She walked past him and towards a particularly lived-in couch. She was going to keep her chin high and be cold and detached. She was --
"I'm n-not sorry."
Oh, fuck. She was going to start talking.
"I'm not. I know I shouldn't have but I didn't mean to. I didn't run up to her and tell her. I didn't want her to know. But she asked t-too many questions, like, 'when did you talk to me last?' and she saw right through all my excuses, no matter how hard I tried, because she's my sister and I know, I know we're Turks and the emotions aren't supposed to matter and the job comes first but she's my sister, Reno! That fucking means something and I can't just lie to her face! She called me a little idiot and kissed the top of my head and I lost it, I just started crying, fine, that's unprofessional, lecture me all you want, but she put it together and I couldn't throw her off. I tried. I made up some story about an ugly fight but she didn't buy it, and maybe I'm glad she didn't because fuck the Turks, Reno, she's my sister! She has a right to know! It was my f-fucking fault and she has a right to know and if you're going to fire me for that then you go right fucking ahead because I love her and I'm not sorry at all, even if I fucked the timeline and the whole world's going to end, because she's my sister and sh---"
This particularly passionate (and tearful) outburst was interrupted by a thump on the side of her knee. Which was, when she looked down, an orange-and-white cat, sitting on the couch, headbutting her leg.
She stared at it (him? her?) like she had never seen a cat before.
"When did you get a cat?"
And would said cat mind being scooped up? Head-butts were friendly greetings, and she could use a furball right about now.
no subject
"I'm n-not sorry."
Oh, fuck. She was going to start talking.
"I'm not. I know I shouldn't have but I didn't mean to. I didn't run up to her and tell her. I didn't want her to know. But she asked t-too many questions, like, 'when did you talk to me last?' and she saw right through all my excuses, no matter how hard I tried, because she's my sister and I know, I know we're Turks and the emotions aren't supposed to matter and the job comes first but she's my sister, Reno! That fucking means something and I can't just lie to her face! She called me a little idiot and kissed the top of my head and I lost it, I just started crying, fine, that's unprofessional, lecture me all you want, but she put it together and I couldn't throw her off. I tried. I made up some story about an ugly fight but she didn't buy it, and maybe I'm glad she didn't because fuck the Turks, Reno, she's my sister! She has a right to know! It was my f-fucking fault and she has a right to know and if you're going to fire me for that then you go right fucking ahead because I love her and I'm not sorry at all, even if I fucked the timeline and the whole world's going to end, because she's my sister and sh---"
This particularly passionate (and tearful) outburst was interrupted by a thump on the side of her knee. Which was, when she looked down, an orange-and-white cat, sitting on the couch, headbutting her leg.
She stared at it (him? her?) like she had never seen a cat before.
"When did you get a cat?"
And would said cat mind being scooped up? Head-butts were friendly greetings, and she could use a furball right about now.