Safe and Sound (Paria)

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Trigger Warning: Death and Harassment

Maria walked outside, her parasol above her head as she twirled it, glad to have divorced James finally with the help of her skilled lawyer, Aaron Burr. Her best friend, Peggy, or Margarita Schuyler, had paid for the court hearings despite Maria telling her not to worry. If she were honest, Maria had a raging crush on Peggy that she had no intention of quelling as she knew she wouldn't remarry so what was wrong with her having a crush on a woman? Well, despite the church's punishment of homosexuality.

When she snapped out of her thoughts she was confused to see eyes following her everywhere she went, whispers too, she was confused, to say the least. Finally, she bumped into a tall man that sent her to the floor, she looked up and was even more confused to see he was giving her a look of disdain, she went to ask him what was wrong when he simply called her a whore. She gasped and stood up ready to defend herself when people began throwing things at her and calling her names.

She went to the ground and held her head in her heads, tucking her knees to her chest and resting her head on it to defend herself, "Whore! Slut! Homewrecker! Nymphomaniac! Bitch!" Those were just a few names shouted at her, each one accompanied with a rock or a fist, a foot? Maybe a glass bottle. It didn't matter, she'd suffered worse from one man than anything this mob of people could throw at her. It didn't stop her from crying though, this was all too real, all too familiar, she'd divorced James but she still had to suffer.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!" Somebody shouted, all the echoing of voices ceased. Maria looked up to see the crowd had separated to reveal Peggy, her yellow dress fluttering and her face red with anger.

Peggy marched through the crowd straight to her, Maria closed her eyes as she expected Peggy was enraged at her for ruining her sister's marriage. She'd never told Peggy but in the midst of her public beating, a newspaper floated in front of her with The Reynolds Pamphlet across the top. It didn't take a genius to figure out what that meant.

"D-Don't leave me here al-alone..." Maria whispered quietly as she felt her heartbreak at the thought that Peggy felt just as disdainfully about her as the rest of the city goers did. She couldn't explain that it was to keep her daughter safe, she couldn't explain that James abused her and left her to fend for herself, she couldn't explain that she was forced to and didn't want it, she had no way to and nobody would care anyway, they'd already demonized her and had no reason to back up on their reasoning.

Peggy tilted her head up with her hands on the side of her face making Maria look up at her, scared that she was about to be struck by the only person she's ever loved romantically. She started crying harder and closed her eyes to await what she deserved but instead found arms wrapped around her on the cold concrete, "I could never." She whispered into Maria's ear. Maria wrapped her arms around Peggy tightly as she started sobbing louder and louder into her shoulder, gripping the back of Peggy's dress as if the woman would disappear if she let go, "Nobody will ever hurt you again, not as long as I'm alive."

Peggy brought her up and glared at the crowd as she put an arm around Maria to lean on, leading her away from the onlookers and judgmental looks. She leads Maria to a hill outside of the city. The two collapsed and Maria leaned against Peggy as Peggy wrapped her arms around Maria's waist.

"The sun is going down," Peggy said, putting her chin on top of Maria's head as the two looked out at it, "You'll be alright." Peggy said, kissing Maria's forehead making Maria blush intensely, "No one can hurt you now." She said making Maria smile again.

Maria turned around and hugged her, "I-I know saying this might make you hate me forever but I really truly love you, Peggy, and not as a friend or sister but as a lover. When you touch my hand I want to scream and I feel like jelly. Your lips? I want to kiss that. Your body? I want to hug that. Your smile? I want to cause that. Your heart? I want that." She knew Peggy wouldn't accept so in that moment she steeled her nerves and kissed her gently.

Peggy kissed her back, keeping one arm around her waist and the other traveled to hold her hand. When they separated she smiled, "I love you too, Maria. My lips? They're yours. My body? It's yours. My smile? You already cause it. My heart? You've already stolen it." She kissed Maria's forehead again with a grin stuck to her face.

Maria and Peggy spent that night together, staying at Peggy's rather large estate in the same bed. They did things that Maria thought she'd never do again as she was afraid to upon her divorce with James. Skin on skin filled with passion and love, they gave themselves to each other.

When she woke up Maria was disappointed to find she was alone in the large bed. Quietly, she tiptoed down the stairs and called out, "Peggy?" She heard a noise from down the hall and ran to Peggy when she saw her swaying and coughing into her hand. She caught the woman just before she could crash to the ground, "Peggy!"

Peggy looked up at her and frowned, "You weren't supposed to see this." She said quietly as the color drained from her face, "I was...going to go to my sister's to die there so you wouldn't worry..."

Maria felt herself tear up though she fought with her mind to try and believe it was a lie, "Die?! P-Peggy why? What's wrong? Please! I can be better for you please just stay!" She let the tears leave her eyes as she shook her lover lightly.

"Tuberculosis," Peggy said quietly as Maria's heart felt it had stopped, "I'm so sorry." She said as tears slowly left the corners of her eyes, "I should've told you but I didn't want you to be sad...you've suffered enough I didn't want to cause anything else to hurt you but I-I did. I'm so sorry, I still love you." She said quietly.

"I love you too." Maria said quietly as Peggy went limp in her arms, "I love you so much." She sobbed and buried her face in Peggy's hair, not wanting to believe she'd died, she was still warm, she still smelled like Peggy, why did she have to be dead?! She sobbed for awhile before looking at Peggy, moving some hair from her face and quietly saying, "Come morning light you and I'll be safe and sound." She picked Peggy up and brought her upstairs, setting her on the bed as if she was asleep before throwing a chair at her mirror, breaking it.

Silently, Maria grabbed the sharpest shard of the glass and lied down next to Peggy, "May God forgive me." She said quietly as she thought about her daughter, "But I can't do this again. I love you my dearest, Peggy, and I'll join you quickly." She closed her eyes and slit both her wrists before dropping the glass over the side of the bed and taking Peggy's hand in hers, "I love you." She turned her head to look at Peggy's peaceful face. It didn't take long for Maria to feel weak, she squeezed Peggy's hand so lightly if she was alive she wouldn't have noticed, "I love you." She said again before closing her eyes for the last time.

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