Hard-Won Lessons

[Parker]

There was a clear disconnect between them, two sets of expectations clashing in the quiet hallway. Neither woman seemed able to phrase what she truly felt in a way the other could swallow. Madison wavered between breezy nonchalance, shrugging off Valerie’s concerns like they were nothing, and a low current of irritation that her friend insisted on turning the whole ordeal into a thing. She’d beaten Muriel fair and square. So what if she added a little glitter at the end? An artificial cherry was still just as sweet as the rest of the sundae.

"I mean, sure… take the time you need?” Maddie offered, her voice softening in a fumbling attempt at reassurance. It was support, in her own sideways Knox way. But when Valerie’s words edged toward skipping out on their dinner plans, the blonde’s facade cracked. A flicker of hurt flashed across her face, sharp and raw, just as genuine as the ache still gnawing at her ankle.

“Wh–wait, are you…” She shifted too quickly, weight sinking onto her bad leg. A hiss slipped through clenched teeth as pain spiked, and she jerked her shoulder back from Valerie’s touch. The rubber tips of her crutches squealed against the floor as she awkwardly hopped to steady herself, damp hair swinging loose around her flushed face. Her voice came out tighter than she meant, tinged with both disbelief and accusation.

“You aren’t actually blowing me off right now, are you?”

[BlackAkuma]

In Valerie’s mind, at least, this seemed like the right way to go about things. She’d soured the mood a bit after Maddie’s win, she was bringing her down, so it was best that they have a little distance. She could take some time just to process what had happened; it could blow over, and the next time they met it would be a distant memory—just a little hiccup between friends. There was no need for it to get that serious, right?

Wrong.

That little flicker of hurt, quick as it was, hit Valerie like a knife in the gut, and she immediately wished she could take back the words that caused it, or at least said them in a better way. Maybe it would’ve been best to push through the dinner date, fake smiles and all. Had she miscalculated here?

When Maddie jerked away from her hand, Valerie started to reach out for her again, only to pull back as the warning flares went off. Despite her being the bigger woman between them, despite Madison being the one in crutches after a hellish match, the Golden Girl’s edge felt more lethal, like a big sister looking down on her.

”No!” She spurted it out quick, almost the instant after that accusation left Maddie’s mouth. ”No, no, no, I am not blowing you off. We’ll have the dinner date, I promise, it’ll be awesome. I’m just off-kilter, right now. It’s me. I don’t want to put that energy on you, not today.”

Valerie laced her fingers together without thinking and leaned forward, lowering her head just enough to put them at eye level. ”Just give me a little time, and we’ll hook up, and it’ll be okay. Please.”

[Parker]

There was conflict in those emerald eyes, a foreign thing for Madison as much as it was for Valerie. The blonde was always so unshakable, unapologetically “right” in all things, gloriously vain in ways that were more armor than flaw. But the two of them had something special. They both grew up with, overworked parents, both nursed little secrets and ambitions, and in the spaces between, they saw each other. Even when they drifted apart, they always made plans for the next time, the next chance. Absence had, in a strange way, made their bond sharper.

Madison would never admit it aloud, but Valerie might be her closest friend and she hadn’t truly seen her in years. Reconnecting, however brief, meant far more than she let on. That pang of hurt she felt now? It twisted into something sharp, something that felt almost like betrayal. It was easier to frame it that way than face how vulnerable she’d made herself by opening the door back up that she had slammed on so many others.

So she had been ready to fight. Ready to yell, scream, insult, anything to deflect if Valerie really was about to brush her off over something so trivial. But then came that sharp “no,” urgent enough to snap her mid-step. Madison froze, crutches squeaking as her weight leaned unevenly to her good leg. She tilted her head, a few wet blond strands sweeping across her shoulder and studied her friend with quiet, searching eyes.

For a heartbeat, she considered pressing it, demanding answers for why Val was suddenly so strange about something Madison thought was just part of the show. But then came the plea: hushed, earnest. And despite herself, Madison’s expression softened. She gave a small shake of her head, the tension breaking on a nervous little laugh.

“Geez, you make it sound like I’m gonna shatter if you breathe wrong.” She covered the sting with humor, propping herself tall on her crutches with exaggerated steadiness. “I’ll hold you to that dinner, though. You don’t get to wriggle out that easy. Not after I went and busted my ankle for your entertainment.”

Her smirk returned, though now it glimmered with warmth, playfulness cushioning the edge of her words. “Take all the time you need to mope or whatever, but it better not take as long as my ankle to heal.” She winked, then nudged her crutch forward, slow but stubborn, closing the gap by sheer will. She wasn’t about to let the space between them stretch any further than it already had.

[BlackAkuma]

Valerie wasn’t sure how long it took Madison to respond. Five seconds? Ten seconds? She knew, logically, it couldn't have been anything like a minute, but god, did it feel like a minute. It was one of those pregnant pauses that made you feel every second, this raw tension that stretched the world out in excruciating detail. It just went on and on and on...

The world seemed to hang on a razor’s edge for a moment, and words couldn't properly convey how relieved she was when they came out on the good side. Seeing Madison’s confidence returning brightened up the room, and gave Valerie a chance to relax. It wasn’t that serious. It wasn’t the end of the world. Just a little hiccup and they were back on track.

She had a chuckle - a real chuckle - at the idea of her chickening out on the dinner. It was her turn to wave off, now. ”Wouldn’t dream of it. You’ll see. You, me, this great pizza place I heard about. Large pizza. Extra mayonnaise. Extra corn.”

She winked back, then perked up as Madison stepped closer. It was always a little startling to have someone in her personal space, such a rare thing where she’d grown up. Americans were so touchy-feely, so open, it never failed to take her off guard when she came over. But with Maddie, it felt…not wrong. Comfortable, even. In fact.

”Come here.” After a moment of hesitation, she reached out, wrapped her arms around Madison - as best as she could with the crutches - and hugged her. A quick squeeze, and awkward as hell since she had such little experience, but loving and warm.

Valerie indulged for a moment, then pulled away. ”I’m glad you’re here, Madison. Really.” She stepped away, bowed, then awkwardly waved as she started to walk off. ”Catch you later, Golden Girl.”

[Parker]

"Ugh, you’re vile.” She gave a theatrical shudder, rolling her eyes like the very thought of such a pizza was enough to make her stomach turn. “If you try to feed me that, you'll be the one on crutches next. Consider yourself warned.”

When Valerie leaned in for the hug Madison made a fake fuss about it as if she was still disgusted by the other blonde over the pizza thing. After a few moments of pretend though, she leaned into the hug as best she could on her crutches, giving Valerie a squeeze in return that lingered just a heartbeat longer than necessary. Awkward as it was, it warmed her all the same. When they broke apart, Madison gave her trademark smirk, sliding the mask of confidence back into place.

"Of course you are. Where would you be without me, really?" She made it a joke, light and breezy, but there was a flicker of relief in her emerald eyes all the same. She stayed in place as Valerie bowed and waved, her smirk softening into something quieter, warmer. The blonde leaned forward, returning the bow while shifting on her crutches. It felt strange and foreign, but she made an effort because this was Valerie's thing. Then she didn’t call her back, didn’t press for more, just stood there and watched until Valerie disappeared from sight. Only then did Madison exhale, shoulders easing, the faintest trace of melancholy in her emerald eyes before she shook it off with a practiced flip of her braid.

“Catch you later, Val.” She murmured to the empty hall, then turned herself back down the corridor, the steady squeak of her crutches tapping out the rhythm of her thoughts as she carried herself forward.

Alone again.