Work Text:
The past week had been hectic for Anne; going from only having to watch for the FBI to being thrown directly into a war zone had caught her off guard. It took some adjustment. However, today came with a surprise. They didn't have any missions at the moment. Tomorrow would be back to usual, but they had some breathing room right now.
Sprig, of course, went off to spend the day with Ivy. Hop Pop was spending it catching up with Sylvia, and Polly ran off with Frobo hot on her heels, undoubtedly off to get into some low-level mischief. And Anne… Well, Anne figured she would spend some time with Sasha.
It was so different being around the other girl again. The initial overwhelming relief of "you're alive. You're here, and you're ok" eclipsed all separate feelings. Then, the emotional roller coaster that was their first mission together and the burden of being the commander. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, as they say.
There were still some complicated feelings around Sasha. Her betrayals and how she treated Anne even before that. The Thai girl definitely hasn't forgiven her, not yet. Still, she could at least acknowledge the effort the other was putting in. She might not have been around to see Sasha working to redeem herself, but her actions were evident in the attitudes of the rebellion.
She could have run away and abandoned Wartwood, but she didn't. She could have fought to stay as commander, but she didn't. Yeah, she should have just asked Anne what she wanted instead of assuming that giving up the title was the best option, but the intentions were in the right place. Sasha was genuinely putting in the effort to change herself for the better, and Anne could respect that.
The reunion brought up some other buried feelings as well. Seeing the blonde with her commanding presence, free-flowing hair, and more developed musculature along with her new attitude, filled her chest with butterflies. The normal, non-monstrous kind. These weren't new emotions, but they certainly had been muddied by the warrior's betrayals.
After seeing the significant change in her companion, they came back with a vengeance, making her heart dance in her chest and face light up as a beacon to her affections. She knew it wasn't that outwardly noticeable since the Plantars never commented on it, but it felt like she had a neon sign attached over her declaring her sentiments.
So yeah, she was going to spend the day with her friend, who she had not entirely platonic feelings for. It should be ok and totally didn't feel like a double-edged sword. Oh boy.
In the short time back, Anne had discovered that it could be sometimes surprisingly hard to pin down Sasha's location. The blonde constantly bouncing between tasks and keeping busy. After asking around for a bit, she eventually found the commander toiling away over maps in the debriefing room. At her entrance, the other girl notably perked up.
"Anne! How are you doing? We don't have any missions today, so try and take time to relax. I know this is all probably a big jump from Earth."
The brunette couldn't help but return the smile as she approached. "I'm doing ok, but it seems like you were the one that didn't get the memo about it being a rest day. From what I hear, you haven't slowed down at all!"
Sasha made a dismissive gesture, hand flicking out. "It's all good, just making sure some details are ironed out for future missions. I've only been at it for a little while."
Anne raised a brow in disbelief. "Sasha, what time do you think it is?"
The blonde hesitated. "Seven in the morning…?"
"Dude, it is past ten. I assume you haven't even stopped to have breakfast?"
The slight cringe was confirmation. The Thai girl reached out to gently take the other's wrist, tugging her slightly. "Come on, let's get some food. I won't force you to sit around all day if you don't want to, but you need a little break. Those details can wait a little bit longer."
The commander paused, eyes flicking as she weighed her options before releasing a sigh. "Yeah, you're right. No use working on an empty stomach." The two nodded before heading off to Stumpy's.
It was… enjoyable. Anne could ignore the little flutters in her chest and just spend time with the other girl. It was still kind of awkward. There were so many things that weren't fit for light conversation, and some things felt so trivial compared to what was happening now above ground.
One thing the brunette noticed was that when she talked, Sasha genuinely listened. It wasn't just listening to be polite or waiting until she could talk herself but seeming to hang onto the words she spoke. It made Anne feel special to have the other's undivided attention. They took their time eating and chatting, but eventually, they had to head back.
"Ok, I will knock out the rest of the fine-tuning on these. You can wander around if you want; I'm sure everyone is taking advantage of the free day."
The holder of Heart paused for a moment. She could see about catching up more with everyone, but on the other hand, this might be the last chance for the two of them to spend a quiet moment together for a while.
"Actually, would it be ok if I stayed with you? I'm no strategist, but another set of eyes might help."
Sasha looked surprised. "I mean if you really want to, but don't push yourself under obligation. No pressure, ok?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I know. I just wanted to spend some extra time with you since we've been separated for so long, you know?" The look she got back in return Anne could only describe as tender, which made it all worth it.
"Yeah, I understand. With the two of us on it, we should be able to get through it in no time."
So, they got to work. Anne was right in a way because most of it was out of her depth of field. However, there were a few times where she'd suggest something that actually seemed like a good fit. Sasha would get that analyzing look on her face, brows scrunched up in a way that reminded her of their missing friend. It made her heart flutter and ache simultaneously.
That was another land mine they both adamantly refused to talk about. Sasha said that Marcy was alive, and Anne wasn't going to question it. Neither wanted to think of the other option and how the absence weighed heavily upon them. All three of them would make it out of this alive; anything else couldn't be seen as a possibility if they wanted to keep hope.
The holders of Strength and Heart worked diligently together. As the afternoon faded to evening, all their work was done. Anne was the first to jump up, giving a long stretch. Sitting still for so long didn't lend itself to her, and she was thankful it was over. Sasha had the same feeling, making a noise as several pops were heard.
"Ok, dude, I'm going to stretch my legs and probably meet up with the Plantars for a bit. But, uh, after dinner, would it be ok if we hung out a little more? I kind of wanted to talk about some more serious topics, and it just didn't really feel like the time earlier. You don't have to if you don't want to; I just wanted to update you on a couple things back home."
Sasha shifted, looking slightly uncomfortable at the prospect of "serious topics," but it didn't deter her much. "Yeah, it's all good on my end. You can just head to my room after so we can have some privacy. You can flag down almost anyone to show you the way; it's not like a secret hide. I'll see you then and try to take it easy. You helped me a lot today."
They gave each other a quick wave as they went their separate ways. Anne needed some time to clear her head before their discussion. She wasn't going to deep dive into their issues, but a couple things needed to be addressed.
She spent the next few hours catching up with some of the citizens of Wartwood and her frog family. Dinner seemed to go by much faster without Sasha next to her keeping up a conversation. The food wasn't bad, but every meal made her long for her parent's own cooking.
It didn't feel like too long before she set out in search of the commander's room. Thankfully Grime was still out in the common area, cleaning up training dummies for the night. He was gruff and to the point but gave her concise directions.
Anne stood in front of what she hoped was the correct room. The underground had significantly been repurposed, so there wasn't an actual door but rather a drape of cloth to obscure the entrance. Hesitantly she called out for her friend and got an instant reply.
"Just come on in, Anne! I was just finished getting cleaned up."
The Thai girl entered, taking in the modest room. Although "room" is a bit of stretch since, like most of the rooms in the underground, it was an old storage space converted into someplace to sleep. There was at least an actual mattress on the floor, covered by a menagerie of different fabrics, and a sturdy-looking table that had armor and weapons stacked upon it.
Eyes flicking to the room's occupant, Anne froze. It was the first time she had seen Sasha out of armor since, jeez, their reunion at Toad Tower. The Slavic girl wore a simple tank top and tight fit lounge pants, towel wrapped around her neck evidently used to dry her golden strands. The added bulk of muscle accumulated was made all that more prominent without the extra layers. That added with the clean sheen to her hair and skin made Anne's brain go into "gay panic" mode.
A chuckle broke her out of her ravine, Sasha looking at her in confused endearment. "You doing ok there, Boonchuy? My room wasn't that hard to find, was it?"
The tease didn't help the brunette think any straighter, but she was at least able to reply. "No, it's all good. Grime gave me directions."
"Ah, ol' Grimesy always being a help." She said with a smirk before her expression became more somber. "Not to cut to the chase, but you said you wanted to have a serious talk?"
Anne fidgeted slightly under the intense gaze. "Yeah, I just wanted to go over some things. Nothing bad, really, I just" she cut herself off, feeling awkward. "Sorry, but can we do something while we talk? I don't want this to get too heavy, and having our own personal staring contest isn't helping."
The warrior nodded. She knew Anne generally felt better if she could keep herself occupied; most of the day being primarily stationary probably added to the feeling of restlessness.
"Of course. Anything you have in mind?"
The Thai girl flicked her eyes around the room before settling on a comb discarded on the table. She followed her "Anne-tuition" and blurted out. "Can I brush your hair while we talk? It's gotten super long."
Both girls seemed to blush at the suggestion, and Anne kicked herself. She had noticed that Sasha was less comfortable being physically affectionate since she came back, and she suggests that. Her spiraling thoughts were interrupted by the other clearing her throat.
"That's fine! Totally fine. I'll just sit over there, and we can talk about things." The Slavic girl lightly pushed the comb into her hands before skittering over to sit on the ground beside the bed. Anne hesitated.
"Are you sure? I was just throwing it out there, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable, and I don't want to make you feel obligated to agree."
Sasha relaxed at the words, posture becoming more open. "Yeah. It caught me a bit off guard, but I'm sure. It's fine, Anne."
So, the Heart holder settled behind the other gem user, sitting upon the mattress with legs crossed. She started to skim her hands through the golden tresses. Once she was satisfied, she grabbed the comb and began to work at the bottom of the mane. Anne broke the fragile hush.
"I sent a letter to your parents at Christmas, Marcy's too."
Immediately the shoulders in front of her tensed. The warrior's voice was similarly rigid. "Oh?"
"Yeah. I never got a reply to any of them. Realistically they probably thought it was some messed-up joke. I mean, it's been months, and being trapped in another world isn't exactly the most believable option. I don't know, I just wanted to send something. It was hard not to think about you two while I was stuck there."
Sasha made a hum of confirmation; if she had her own thoughts on it, she didn't voice them. Anne continued to work through her hair, being gentle to untangle the occasional knot.
"You know, Marcy's family moved, and her dad ended up taking that job out of state."
That got a reaction out of the blonde, head whipping around to look back at the other girl.
"What?! So, they just gave up looking and moved on?"
The brunette sighed and readjusted to continue her work. "I don't get it either, really, but my parents explained a bit. I mean, three teenagers all disappearing in L. A. and no one hearing or seeing even a glimpse of them for months? Everyone thought we all died or got kidnapped or something equally as horrible. The Wus just decided not to linger."
There was a pause in the conversation. Anne was getting close to done with Sasha's hair, and then she wouldn't have anything to distract her. She couldn't help but ask the question that had been heavy on her mind.
"We'll save Marcy, won't we? We'll bring her home?"
She didn't turn back, but the Strength holder spoke with such conviction that she couldn't dare question it. "We will. We'll save her, beat that old newt's tail and his army, and all go home together. We have to."
Hope was a powerful thing they must covet in desperate situations such as this. They must persevere and keep courage. Anne was done with the comb but couldn't stop herself from remaining, brushing her fingers through the silken locks. She felt the other melting slightly into the touch, and she couldn't help but smile.
"I haven't completely forgiven you, Sasha. Not after everything, but you are changing, and I'm proud of you for that. You've come so far from the person I fought at Toad Tower, and I respect it. My feelings were all tangled up because I was hurt and so angry with you, but I couldn't stop missing you."
The blonde had surprisingly relaxed further into her hand, almost reclining back. Her voice was tender. "Yeah, I can understand that. I was so far in my own head that I couldn't see what was going on around me, and I almost lost everything because of it. Honestly, I'm just lucky that you continue to follow that big heart of yours."
Sasha glanced behind her to look Anne in the eyes, and her face held such a soft look not usually seen on the soldier. The Thai girl felt her heart bloom with affection at the tender gaze.
"Hey, is it ok if I listen to it again and do something stupid?"
The other girl chuckled and turned to face her a bit more. "Since when has that stopped you?"
With no objection in sight, Anne brought her hand up to caress Sasha's face, thumb swiping against the now old scar there. She kept a watchful eye out for any discomfort and then threw caution to the wind to lean in.
It was just a brush of lips, barely a moment of contact, yet it filled Anne's heart like pouring an ocean into a vase. It lit a fire in her and made her face flush. She drew back hesitantly.
"Was that ok? I should have specified, but I just couldn't stop thinking about it. You looked so- I've felt this way for a while, but that doesn't change the fact I could have planned that out better. I, um.." Her words were failing in her flustered state, but Sasha came to her rescue by speaking up.
"Is it ok if I did something stupid too?" And Anne could only nod at the intense look on her companion's face. Wasting not a second, the commander reached up, tangling her hand in thick curls and gentle urgency, pulling the other girl down into a kiss.
Once again, warmth filled the holder of Heart, a dazzling explosion of emotion. This kiss was firmer of a press, feeling two soft if slightly chapped lips against her own. They slowly broke apart and lingered in each other's space for several seconds, breathing in tandem.
Alight with giddiness, Anne didn't dare stop the giggles that bubbled up from in her. Sasha must have felt something similar since she joined in. She initiated a hug all on her own and peppered the other girl’s face in quick pecks between their laughing. The moment they shared was comfortable in every sense of the world.
"Woah, you should listen to your Anne-tuition more often." The blonde's eyes were sparkling, and her grin threatened to split her face. The Thai girl couldn't help giving a light shove at the tease. "No! We just had a whole mission about why that's not the best idea."
"Worked out for me," Sasha said with confidence if that wasn't the mushiest thing.
The two of them had a lot of things to work on, but wrapped in solid arms and soul alight, Anne couldn't help but think they could take on whatever came their way. Together.