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madra_liathSummary: Mia Fey was the one who met Dahlia Hawthorne for coffee that fateful day, and ended up in a coma for five years. When she finally wakes up, she and Diego try to resume their relationship...but it's not as simple as picking up where they left off. Written for the Phoenix Wright Kink Meme.
***
“This isn’t working out for me, Diego.”
She was still beautiful. Her long, white hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall. Even the silver mask she wore had a graceful elegance to it. It almost made up for not being able to see her eyes.
“How’s that, kitten?”
She didn’t answer him at first. He licked his dry lips, and tried to muster a smirk.
“Let me guess – it’s not me, it’s you?”
She took his hands in hers. There was an IV scar on the back of her left hand. She had scars all over – surgeries, needles, a feeding tube. All reminders of his failure to protect her. Sometimes he couldn’t stand to look at them.
“A lot’s happened to me,” she murmured. “I almost died. I’m missing five years of my life. Things…” She glanced down at her stomach. “…don’t work like they should. And I’ll never be the way I was. It’s a lot to take in.”
He squeezed her hands gently, the words I’m here for you, Mia on the tip of his tongue. She continued before he could get them out.
“One of us… isn’t coping well.”
He shrugged, practiced words of reassurance coming easily. “It’s gonna take time, kitten, I get it. You’ll keep seeing your therapist, and you’ll get there.”
She gazed up at him, and he flinched a little at the bright red lights.
“I meant you, Diego.”
He shook his head, a nervous smirk on his face. “What – what are you talking about, kitten?”
“I’m talking about how you barely let me out of your sight.” Mia was stroking her thumb over the back of his hand. “You won’t let me take cases on my own.” She looked away briefly, then gazed up at him again. “Look, Diego, there are things I can’t do any more. But I’ve got to find out what I can do, decide what I’m gonna do with my life. When you wrap me in cotton wool, you just remind me of all the ways I’m broken.”
There was a rushing sound in his ears, and he swallowed to get rid of it.
“And it’s not helping me.” She hesitated for a moment. “It’s making things worse.”
“I – I can change,” he managed. His throat felt so tight all of a sudden. “Give me a chance, Mia, please.”
She dropped his hands with a huff of exasperation.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve told you not to coddle me, is it?” she snapped. “Don’t act like this is coming out of nowhere when the truth is that you won’t listen.”
He clenched his fists, biting back ungrateful and I waited for you and no-one else will ever…
He’d just wanted to keep her safe.
“So…so we take a break,” he said weakly. “You work on yourself and I work on myself and then…”
She was shaking her head, a sad smile on her face.
“I can’t promise my feelings for you won’t change,” she murmured. “If somewhere down the line we fall in love again, great. But it’s not fair to leave you hanging. It’s better if we end things now.”
The world was falling down around him.
Mia stood up, putting her coat on. “I’ll come by tomorrow for my stuff.”
He watched her move towards the door through a haze of tears.
“I can’t believe I’m losing you again.”
She paused and looked back. “I’m sorry.”
The front door clicked shut behind her.
***
“This isn’t working out for me, Diego.”
She was still beautiful. Her long, white hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall. Even the silver mask she wore had a graceful elegance to it. It almost made up for not being able to see her eyes.
“How’s that, kitten?”
She didn’t answer him at first. He licked his dry lips, and tried to muster a smirk.
“Let me guess – it’s not me, it’s you?”
She took his hands in hers. There was an IV scar on the back of her left hand. She had scars all over – surgeries, needles, a feeding tube. All reminders of his failure to protect her. Sometimes he couldn’t stand to look at them.
“A lot’s happened to me,” she murmured. “I almost died. I’m missing five years of my life. Things…” She glanced down at her stomach. “…don’t work like they should. And I’ll never be the way I was. It’s a lot to take in.”
He squeezed her hands gently, the words I’m here for you, Mia on the tip of his tongue. She continued before he could get them out.
“One of us… isn’t coping well.”
He shrugged, practiced words of reassurance coming easily. “It’s gonna take time, kitten, I get it. You’ll keep seeing your therapist, and you’ll get there.”
She gazed up at him, and he flinched a little at the bright red lights.
“I meant you, Diego.”
He shook his head, a nervous smirk on his face. “What – what are you talking about, kitten?”
“I’m talking about how you barely let me out of your sight.” Mia was stroking her thumb over the back of his hand. “You won’t let me take cases on my own.” She looked away briefly, then gazed up at him again. “Look, Diego, there are things I can’t do any more. But I’ve got to find out what I can do, decide what I’m gonna do with my life. When you wrap me in cotton wool, you just remind me of all the ways I’m broken.”
There was a rushing sound in his ears, and he swallowed to get rid of it.
“And it’s not helping me.” She hesitated for a moment. “It’s making things worse.”
“I – I can change,” he managed. His throat felt so tight all of a sudden. “Give me a chance, Mia, please.”
She dropped his hands with a huff of exasperation.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve told you not to coddle me, is it?” she snapped. “Don’t act like this is coming out of nowhere when the truth is that you won’t listen.”
He clenched his fists, biting back ungrateful and I waited for you and no-one else will ever…
He’d just wanted to keep her safe.
“So…so we take a break,” he said weakly. “You work on yourself and I work on myself and then…”
She was shaking her head, a sad smile on her face.
“I can’t promise my feelings for you won’t change,” she murmured. “If somewhere down the line we fall in love again, great. But it’s not fair to leave you hanging. It’s better if we end things now.”
The world was falling down around him.
Mia stood up, putting her coat on. “I’ll come by tomorrow for my stuff.”
He watched her move towards the door through a haze of tears.
“I can’t believe I’m losing you again.”
She paused and looked back. “I’m sorry.”
The front door clicked shut behind her.
