Arcane Sequence: 1987 (WLW)

December 10th, 1987: Air it Out

This novella contains mature language.

Yua closed her notepad and sat back in her desk chair after looking over her notes from the day. None of the typical music came in from under the door. Jaime hadn't played a single record since coming home. She hadn't even left her room unless to get the food left outside of her door by Yua, or use the bathroom and Yua couldn't blame her.

After all her big talk at the hospital, the moment that she walked into Jaime's hospital room and saw the easy affection Jessica Warren gave her, it had been turned to mush. She didn't actually know much about Jaime at all. Jessica obviously did as her ex girlfriend of several years. Perhaps Yua had just kidded herself into thinking there was something more to what was going on with them because of how much she loved it all. Perhaps she had somehow pressured Jaime into something she wasn't even...

No, she knew she hadn't pressured Jaime into anything. Not after the way she spoke to her. Not after the way she touched her like no other could. It felt like it had been months since their mornings of waking up in one another's arms, but it had been exactly five days. Five days of torture on Yua's part and utter shock. Jaime had always chased her, but now, she wasn't.

Not that Yua really felt she had a place to voice her opinion on the matter. Jaime was hurt trying to protect her. She was angry at herself and at Jaime, and it felt all wrong.

What kind of person got angry at someone they cared about over something like a promise Yua knew Jaime couldn't have kept? It was wrong of her to even demand she vow such a thing, but she also felt conflicted on the matter once she learned of Jaime challenging Ryan to a fight. How could she have done that after swearing not to take risks? How could Yua have not seen it coming in the first place? Most importantly, how could she blame Jaime for it when she knew acting first and asking questions later was just how she was built?

She could never hold that against her, but Jaime was a ticking time bomb. She got angry so easily and let it take her over. Yua knew it and still got involved with her based on the fact that she felt safe in her arms and intrigued by her reaction to her. A reaction which she had yet to truly name. She stirred something within Yua no other could. Or at least, that was what she thought until she was able to touch Kevin.

Yua held her hand up and turned it over and over again, examining it. Not just the one time at the hospital, but she patted his shoulder when he came to relay Jaime's condition. None of the burning was there. In fact, it felt pleasant to be able to touch him so casually. With Ryan in custody, her guard was lowered even further and she had chanced the contact. If she were able to touch others besides Jaime, was their connection as strong as she originally believed? She felt cheated out of something and as much as she fought to not be angry at herself and Jaime, she couldn't let it go.

Her fingertips began to itch the longer she stared at them and thought of Jaime, finally realizing the only person whom she wanted to equally embrace and receive tender caresses was different to those she could platonically touch. Something about Jaime was different, yet no matter the different passages she took in her mind to possible answers, she couldn't find a single one. Maybe, the problems with Yua were just too deep, too impenetrable to actually breach and she would never find her real answers. Perhaps, she was a lost cause and now Jaime knew it as well.

Was she even fixable, or was she utterly broken?

Yua's office phone rang and she startled with a small yelp, then picked it up. "Hello. This is the office of--"

"Hey." Jaime's gruff voice came from the other line and Yua stiffened.

"J-Jaime...? What are you doing out of bed? Were you hungry?" She stood and began to gather her things. "You shouldn't be out of bed in your condition. I will be over right--"