The silence was overwhelmingly loud where you stood trembling in the empty house, the trauma of the last moments scraping across your skin and igniting your body in a flame of despair.
You crumpled like a house of cards, scattered across the tiled floor while your mind buzzed with the rage and hurt those two women provoked. Despite your best efforts, though, the ghost of gratitude lurked and you noticed your fingers twitching with the desire to grasp them and never let go, tethering you to the boat that bobbed on the sea you were drowning in, a last chance at survival, a lifeline you had just snapped in half.
A stream of choked wails resounded throughout the empty hallway and you had no choice but to accept yourself as the source of the shrill noise. Each breath you took caused your body to deflate, the air you released not returning as you melted further and further into the floor. Your stomach emptied and became hollow; the butterflies that danced with love had transformed to a violent swarm of moths, fluttering away towards the sun that teased the window of your living room. Each gasp of air that jumped out pushed your ribs further towards the ceiling as if your skeleton itself stretched to tear away from the dull, bruised skin you had trapped it in, leaving your shell frozen in place for your girlfriend to find.
A colour wheel becomes white when you spin it too fast, and a similar blank space filled your mind, a tsunami of emotions that you had drowned in were now just the wet stain left behind when the waves retreated. You were almost peaceful for the first time in months, content with the way your body rejected feeling anything at all, finally shutting down after the exhaustion you had forced upon it.
The two blondes, however, were feeling everything at once. Stumbling back to the academy on autopilot, Cordelia had instantly cancelled all classes, something that caused Bilie's heart to constrict considering how seriously Delia took her supreme duties.
"We've got to think of something." Her intent was strong but her voice still shook as she slumped in her desk chair with a tearful Billie pacing in front of her.
"I can't believe she doesn't get it"
Her curls had come loose with the amount she had shook her head, as if it would all disappear if she refused to believe it. She had kicked off her heels and now stood in her tights just too exhausted to wear anything on her feet; the few inches she lost reflected her vulnerability as she caught Cordelia's eye, her lip trembling with the effort of trying to hold back another wave of tears.
"She's abusing her."
That word. It sunk on the medium's shoulders like a shakespearean curse, pushing on her lungs just enough for her to forget to breathe, only pulled up for air when her wife stepped in front of her to cradle her.
A sulphur bitterness poisoned the air of the coven, all of the witches aware that something was terribly wrong given the way the two women had trapped themselves in the confines of the office, not even emerging to eat as the day went on. Though, they weren't the only ones.
While they had moved in a flurry of tears and sighs and screams you lay still in the same spot as if the ice that resided in Lucy's heart had finally taken over you, stilling the rush of your blood and the beating of your heart.
It almost felt as though you had landed in your personal hell, deprived of the ability to move and laying there at her mercy; you were only reminded of the fact you were still breathing when the door burst open and the rush of air up through your mouth startled you as you scrambled to make your body work enough to stumble to your feet the way she liked you to greet her.
You swayed on your feet and her blurred silhouette stepped forward to hold you, an unfamiliar softness greeting you in place of harsh digits poking at your flesh.
"Baby," she cooed, and your brow furrowed in a suspicious confusion
"I saw what happened. I'm so proud of you." A wet kiss was pressed to your cheek and your body recoiled in shock. Is this what it should have been like all along? Is this what you could have had with her?
Realisation dawned on you finally when she stepped away to switch on the TV and you couldn't help but ask, "how did you know?" She chuckled in response, a dark sound that echoed in your hollow bones, "I have a security camera. Wanted to keep an eye on you." She didn't have the decency to look at you when she replied and you were grateful for that considering the way your face fell at her confession.
Your stomach twisted with discomfort and you shivered with disgust; you had to scold yourself when your mind drifted to the house next door and how safe you felt there compared to here in your own home.
You sat down on the sofa and went over it all while she watched something on the other side of the room. She was just keeping you safe, she wanted to make sure they didn't upset you. She loves you, silly!
It took longer than usual for you to be reassured of her special ways of showing her affection, but when you had calmed you moved to sit near her and collapsed into her lap.
"Oh baby they really upset you didn't they? I told you they were no good." Your eyes welled with shame as you realised she had been right all along, and you relished in the comfort she provided you, even if it would only be temporary.
"I was thinking," she mumbled and you knew then something was coming, "maybe we should move houses?"
You sprung up in confusion at the bombshell she had dropped, but the soft smile she gave you told you she was completely serious.
"Why do you want to move?" you asked softly, treading carefully.
"We need a fresh start, baby. I've been so stressed with those two nextdoor interfering and I know I've not treated you too well. You've been distracted and you didn't love me as much as you should and I think this would be good for us."
You considered her words; she was right, things had been worse particularly because of your involvement with Billie and Delia, and you saw how upset they were when they left. They'd probably be relieved to see you go, it's not like they'd ever talk to you again anyway. Plus, maybe your relationship could get back to what it had been at the start; you could be happy.
In your warped perspective the benefits outweighed the disadvantages and you found yourself nodding, tingling all over when she pulled you into a kiss full of love instead of the bitter possessiveness she usually tasted of.
The week that followed was like walking on air, lifted by the love you felt blooming for your lover where previously only weeds grew. You fell into the familiar routine that had worked so well for you and spent your evenings searching for your new home over a shared bottle of wine.
A few days later you had signed the contract for your new home; you had been a little nervous to choose too quickly given the way all your hopes were pinned on this last chance at your happiness with her, but Lucy had very quickly reassured you that everything would be okay when you were in your new house with a fresh start.
The smitten tingle in your chest was reminiscent of the first days of your relationship and you beamed at the thought of returning to that state of former bliss. Everything was becoming just right again and you were so so lucky.
Classes resumed at the coven but the storm that raged in the supreme was never quelled; she spent every spare moment watching the windows of your home, memorising the shadows and silhouettes that performed for her. Billie hadn't returned to work; instead she drove herself insane monitoring every movement in and out of your home, waiting for the moment she would see you run towards her with your arms outstretched; despite the ghost of doubt that stained bitterness on her tongue, the shimmer of hope still tingled inside her and she was determined to be there at the moment when you changed your mind.
A bitter trick of fate that the moment Billie relinquished her position at the window was the moment the two of you emerged and she was deprived of the brief moment of relief she would have felt to watch your beaming face step into the car. Usually Lucy liked to keep you at home away from anyone that might cause you harm, but given your fresh start she had decided you could go grocery shopping together.
The two of you wandered in an alien state of relaxation, no sense of rush laced in your movements as you browsed the aisles. Each moment at her side was a new sensation of love and despite the shadows that lurked, you basked in the light she shone on you. Your hands were laced and she held a basket where you collected the ingredients for the meal you had offered to cook. Your gaze was watching your feet move in sync so you stumbled slightly when she stopped abruptly. You looked up at her distant expression and followed her gaze, breath hitching when you noticed Zoe standing in front of you.
She was no idiot, despite the reclusiveness of her supreme and the medium, she knew what had been going on. She took note of the bruises you were stained with and the steel grip Lucy touched you with. She also felt the way Cordelia's frenzied magic bounced throughout the walls of the coven, desperate to find something to latch onto; she recognised the hollow force it held as that which she had felt when she felt Kyle withdrawing and she pitied the supreme's aching heart.
"Hi!" She breathed out, masking her uneasiness with a more gentle demeanor given you were the last witch she hadn't pushed away.
Lucy spoke up for you as you stood still frozen, affected by the abrupt reminder of the life you hoped never to remember, "Hi zoe, how are you?"
The conversation continued in an empty exchange of pleasantries that you couldn't quite focus on, drowning in the panic that flooded you in case the appearance of Delia's friend might cause the decline of your relationship once again. The conversation in front of you only penetrated your fuzzy mind when you heard the words "good news" and you looked up in curiosity. The wide eyed stare you earned from Zoe prompted Lucy to continue, mistaking her terror for excitement. "We're moving house!" she beamed before squeezing your hand and continuing, "we decided moving out of the state would be a great opportunity for us and we've already found the perfect place."
You fought to contort your lips into a smile with all the energy you could muster and settled your gaze on the cereal in favour of glancing up at zoe. You anticipated the expression she would be holding and decided your heart couldn't take it if you made eye contact.
"Wow, congratulations!" was mumbled out and you withdrew back into your head to block out the remainder of the conversation, entertaining yourself with your anxieties until you felt Lucy tug you back out into reality as you wandered down the aisle past the other witch.
"Baby I love you" she whined as she pulled you onto her lap after you had finished cleaning the kitchen following the meal you shared.
"I know" you whispered, pecking her nose and holding her body close; you soaked up the moment of comfort and your heart swelled at the change you felt in her.
"Things are gonna be so good when we move."
Zoe had walked home from the grocery store in a frenzy, hurrying to put away the food she had bought in favour of hunting down the two blondes. Cordelia was in the middle of teaching a class in the greenhouse; when she walked in the room the supreme prepared to tell her off, however the look she was met with prompted her to invite the students to work independently while she left the room.
Cordelia stepped out of the glass and grasped Zoe's cheeks, frightened by the wide eyes and tears that infected her face, "sweetheart what's wrong?"
"Where's Billie?"
"I - She might be in the office. She had a few things to work on today. Why?"
Cordelia's anxiety was peaking and her body trembled slightly with a sense of unease, especially when she heard the way Zoe mumbled out her words, choked by the hold of her tears.
"I need to talk to you both. Now."
The supreme stumbled slightly as she struggled to keep up with Zoe's pace while they stormed up the stairs and into the office, startling Billie who was sitting on the little sofa with her laptop. Upon seeing the expressions on their faces, she dropped her laptop to the side and jumped to her feet.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"I don't know" Cordelia choked out, moving closer to Billie and grasping her hand, looking to Zoe expectant of her explanation.
"I saw y/n and Lucy. They're moving out of the state."
The hands that had been joined between the two women dropped towards the floor as if burdened by the weight of her words, dangling at their sides while their fingers twitched in search of something to tether themselves to in an attempt to ride out the storm they were strangled by. Cordelia began to pace in an attempt to channel the anxiety that bubbled inside her, the incessant tapping of her heels reflecting the rattling of their hearts as they hammered in their heaving chests. Billie stood frozen, the new information grasping her in a choke hold while her glassy eyes stared at Zoe.
"Tell me everything." The steady tone she spoke with startled both her and Cordelia as she stood steadfast and unmoving, treading carefully towards the younger witch as if she were a deer in the wild, startled by the slightest shuffle.
"I was at the grocery store and I bumped into them. They were holding hands. Y/n didn't speak much, she was distracted. Lucy told me they're leaving soon. They wanted a change so they're moving states." Zoe spat out the words hurriedly as if they burned her tongue on the way out of her mouth, leaving a bitter stain of anxiety and panicked tears that were threatening to fall.
Cordelia cupped her cheeks tenderly and brushed a stray tear, "we'll sort this out. Please don't worry." she pleaded, alarmed by the state the younger witch was in. She had thought they managed to mask the situation but it dawned on her now that it was more than likely that all of her students were aware of what was going on, and that thought caused her stomach to clench with distaste.
Zoe moved out of her embrace and towards the door, giving the other women the privacy she knew they were about to ask for. The door closed before it and a shiver rolled across her skin when she heard soft cries from one of the two.
Cordelia had remained composed through the entire ordeal, her hollow form held up only by the pure magic that coursed through her veins, but this time even that wasn't enough. The panic that surged inside her at the idea of you being out of her reach and in danger left her trembling and reaching towards her wife for support in standing.
Billie too was shaking like a leaf caught in the storm you were trapped in, though she had been in a similar state for weeks on end; at this point she would be uneasy when her body finally returned to being still and steady.
When the waves of shock had subsided and left behind only a shallow stream of despair, the women finally had the courage to articulate their thoughts.
"We have to get her out of there." Billie declared, moving around the room as if she were getting ready to leave in that very moment.
Cordelia had sunk into her desk chair, swaying slightly while she tried to make sense of everything, "what can we do, Billie?" the soft tone confused the medium; she had expected there to be more passion inside her provoked by the situation you were trapped in.
"We have to go and get her. We have to help her escape." She stepped towards the supreme who had risen to meet her eye line.
"We can't help someone that doesn't want to be helped, Billie. She chose her." Resignation was evident in her voice and Billie's stomach twisted in desperation.
"No." The medium's face was sticky with tears as she gripped onto Cordelia's shirt, desperate to reignite the fire that had been dulled by your harsh words, "we can't just sit back and accept that. You saw what's happening. Didn't you love her?"
"I do love her." Cordelia choked out, "but she doesn't want us."