Chapter Text
It’s 10 o’clock at night when it happens.
Perfuma had just sat down at her small desk in her room to study for her university classes, her end of year exams are steadily approaching and she is determined to stay on top of revision. Sure, the exams are not to start for another six weeks, but Perfuma will be damned if she lets herself slack off now.
With exam time comes summer holidays, and she has been saving up to go wherever she wants as a reward for making it through her second year in college. She deserves a good break. Dragging herself awake for 8am classes and crawling back home well after 6 for the past two years are cruel. How did she survive? She will never know. The energy drinks probably have something to do with it.
A botanist degree was something Perfuma knew she would have to work hard getting, but there’s something to be said about knowing something is going to be hard and actually going through with it and realizing; yeah, this actually is hard.
Still though, Perfuma enjoyed her classes, and she knows no matter how difficult it is getting out of her cosy bed, no matter how big her study load gets, it will be worth it. She wants this, and she is fully prepared to work for it.
8am does feel a little excessive though, if Perfuma were to be honest.
It was just as Perfuma opened her biology textbook to revise over her notes that her phone starts buzzing with an incoming call. The unexpected loud vibrations on her wooden desk make her jump, and she sits in stunned silence for a second before she scrambles to retrieve the call. Her heart rate speeds up even more when she sees its Scorpia calling.
With a giddy grin, she doesn’t hesitate to answer.
“Scorpia, hi!”
The soft sobbing she gets as an answer makes her stomach drop and her smile disintegrate. Scorpia crying on the phone has been happening too much lately, but she usually texts a warning in advance.
“Scorpia? H-hey are you-”
“So- ugh. Sorry I just. I’m sorry.” Scorpia audibly takes a huge gulp of breath, before continuing. “I just. I finally did it. And it- I mean, it didn’t go down well at all and I feel so bad-” She stops to clear her throat, and Perfuma grips the phone harder, choosing her words carefully.
“You broke up with Catra? Is she still there?”
“Yeah, I- yep. Finally did it. And uh, no. Just left.”
Perfuma closes her eyes and takes a steadying breath.
“Scorpia…”
When Scorpia speaks again, it’s with fresh tears.
“I tried really hard. I did. I tried to do it in the best way, just how I told you I would. And it didn’t matter. I tried so hard and-”
She starts crying through the phone again. Perfuma feels herself tear up at the sound.
She had encouraged this. Encouraged Scorpia to break things off with Catra. And Perfuma tried hard to make sure her help was not coming from a place of jealousy. She had been happy for Scorpia throughout the relationship, never once admitted how she wishes it were her that Scorpia gushed about and wanted to wake up next to.
But it became increasingly obvious that Scorpia was not happy. She was hurting. Catra was blunt and sharp and too much and not enough. While Catra never intentionally wanted to cause harm, she just didn’t get Scorpia. She didn’t listen to Scorpia, didn’t try hard for her, didn’t love her in the way Scorpia needed.
Catra started expecting too much and never gave back. She yelled and cried when Scorpia tried reaching out, made her feel guilty. And when Scorpia would come to class or sit down at lunch, Perfuma could see how drained she was. Scorpia wasn’t happy. The couple just weren’t compatible.
After 8 months, it was clear it wasn’t going to get better.
When Scorpia said she wanted to end things with Catra, Perfuma agreed to help her. Scorpia tried so hard to come up with the perfect plan, to end things the best way possible without hurting Catra too much. To make sure everyone was happy.
It never works like that though. Scorpia tried too hard for someone who could not give back.
Perfuma had the feeling it would end the same way it had always been with those two.
“This isn’t your fault. You’re allowed to break up with partners. You are allowed to choose this path for yourself.”
“She was so angry.” Scorpia whispers.
Another deep breath.
“I’m coming over.”
Perfuma pulls her small car up at the front of Scorpia’s apartment building but doesn’t step out yet. With a small huff, she leans forward until her forehead plonks against the steering wheel and gives herself a moment to prepare for the emotional mess she’s about to walk into. Catra was not - is not- a bad person, but Catra is not a great person either. And Scorpia, sweet Scorpia, just isn’t built for this kind of intensity. Scorpia just cannot tough it out or get angry. She sinks into it, feels everything and lets it all run its course with her, and she does it alone. Perfuma knows how Scorpia puts on a happy face for others, to not let anyone else feel sad for her. Scorpia just wants everything and everyone to be okay.
It’s not okay, she isn’t alright. It is going to be a long time for her to recover from this.
Perfuma feels her eyes water again in empathy.
And for other reasons. Guilt.
Perfuma likes Scorpia. In love with her even. And despite Perfuma’s best efforts in being a friend, she knows there’s no way her feelings wouldn’t have any influence on her decisions.
Oh gosh, what if the only reason Perfuma helped Scorpia is because she wants her, what if this has been her selfishly getting rid of Catra so she can have Scorpia to herself? What if she took advantage of this horrible opportunity-
With a whine, Perfuma cuts herself off from that train of thought and slides down her seat.
She isn’t like that. She knows she would never sabotage her friend’s relationship like that. Perfuma just wants the best for Scorpia. She only agreed to help Scorpia through ending things when Scorpia suggested it first. Perfuma never initiated this. Scorpia isn’t leaving Catra for her. It’s okay.
I didn’t do this. I’m not responsible for a failed relationship.
And besides, no matter how shitty Perfuma feels about all this, its nothing compared to how Scorpia must feel.
This is gonna be rough for a while. But she can get through it. I am gonna help her.
Suddenly sitting upright, Perfuma slaps her cheeks and steels herself. Her best friend needs her. Needs her to be the strong one, reliable.
That’s right, reliable. Last thing she needs is another uncertainty. My feelings for her can’t matter right now. Later.
Reaching over to the passenger seat, Perfuma grabs the shopping bag full of goodies she bought from the convenience store on the way over.
As she steps out of her car and locks it up, she cannot help but remember and laugh fondly when Scorpia had done this for her last year, when Mermista had broken up with Perfuma. Scorpia had come around with all her favourite chocolates and lollies and let her just cry it out into Scorpia’s shoulder. That happened on a Friday night too, and Scorpia had stayed over all weekend and gave unlimited support and love, cooking meals for her (read; ordering takeout), went grocery shopping with her and watched all the sad gushy movies with her.
In the end though, it wasn’t so bad. Mermista was nice enough about it and they still managed to stay good friends after the breakup.
Perfuma has the feeling that this time round it’s not going to be as easy to heal. Meditations and spa days and eating chocolate can only get you so far. Perfuma does not know the extent of the emotional damage yet. But if she knows anything about Catra, it’s that she would not have held back on anything.
It is that thought that wipes Perfuma’s fond smile away and makes her hurry to the apartment lobby. Crossing the dark street with uncharacteristically little caution, she jogs up to the apartment intercom outside the glass door and buzzes Scorpia’s unit number. This intercom has been broken and fixed so many times since Scorpia living here that Perfuma is surprised the building hadn’t given up and bought a new one. It’s old, never got caught up in the newer looking building itself.
Maybe I can convince her to move into the university dorms with me next year, she muses as she waits for Scorpia to let her in.
“Hello?” comes Scorpia’s soft voice through the intercom.
“It’s just me!” Perfuma waves at the camera above the speaker. She hears a faint small laugh as the glass door clicks open. Hearing her laugh, no matter how small, takes some weight of Perfuma’s shoulders, and she lets herself smile again as she pushes through the entrance and quickly paces to the small elevator and calls it.
It’s a small, nice apartment building, but feels a little too sterile for Perfuma. Everything is painted in greys, with lots of glass and mirrors and no plants. It feels too dull for someone like Scorpia too.
Scorpia lives on the fourth floor with her housemate, down a long corridor in front of the elevator. It’s well-lit as Perfuma start downs it, the dreary grey boring as ever. Perfuma hums a broken tune just to fend off the horrid vibes this place gives her. She can feel herself age faster here just from the stagnant energy as she passes by door after door. She really should convince Scorpia to move into the dorms. This place gives her the creeps.
Finally, Scorpia’s door. Perfuma eagerly knocks twice, barely taking her small fist back as the door swings open and Scorpia, dressed in her soft pajamas, all but falls into her. Without a second thought, Perfuma wraps her thin arms around Scorpia’s broad back and tries to rub her reassuringly. Scorpia lets out a little sob and hugs back tighter.
“Thank you,” Scorpia whispers into Perfuma’s neck. “Thank you for coming over.”
“Of course, I will always be here whenever you want.”
Scorpia pulls back and gently tugs Perfuma inside. The apartment shares the same colour scheme as the rest of the building, but Scorpia had tried her best to liven the place up. Soft, red rugs are placed over the wooden floors of the hallways and living room, where sunflower yellow furniture sits atop. Various potted plants that Perfuma had gifted her are set up in corners and shelves, and a wooden coffee table set up in the center of the living room. Its mismatched, but it’s so Scorpia.
Perfuma is led to the yellow couch, and they both flop down with absolutely no grace at all. Perfuma wastes no time snuggling up to her large friend and places the grocery bag on her lap.
“I come bearing gifts.” She says as she pulls out a chocolate bar from the bag and hands it to Scorpia. It’s the chocolate filled with the strawberry filling, Scorpia’s favourite flavour.
Scorpia smiles softly and sniffs, gently taking the chocolate and delicately opening the packet, but doesn’t take any.
“Thank you, Flower.”
The nickname always makes Perfuma feel pleasantly warm, so she reaches up and runs a hand through Scorpia’s white hair. That was all the invitation Scorpia needed to collapse into Perfuma’s chest and wraps big arms around her small body. Perfuma keeps running her hand through thick hair, her other hand running up and down the larger woman’s back. Scorpia heaves a sob, and when Perfuma leans down and whispers, “Just let it out,” Scorpia lets go.
Perfuma cries as well. Quietly, but she cries.
It’s been a long time coming.
Twenty minutes of Scorpia crying goes by, and in that time Perfuma has managed to reposition both of them more comfortably on the couch, with herself being pressed up against the arm of the couch and both legs swung up on either side of Scorpia’s sobbing body, and Scorpia herself lying on top of her.
Eventually, Scorpia’s heaving breathes mellow out to something more even and softer. Perfuma can tell that Scorpia is exhausted. She has been exhausted for so long. Burnt out from the non-stop barrage of negative energy from Catra, burnt out from the stress of deciding to end the serious relationship, burnt out from the guilt, from the grief, from studying, from working, from everything. She needs a break. She deserves a break. To have some time thinking about herself without worry.
To live in the moment again.
“Hey, Scorpia?”
“…Yeah?”
“Let’s get out of here this weekend. Go somewhere. Have a change of scenery.”
Perfuma feels Scorpia freeze up for a second, before pulling herself up on her arms. She looks at Perfuma with a slightly bewildered expression, her face red and puffy and wet from crying. There are intense bags under her dark eyes, and where she isn’t red, she is pale and dull. Perfuma has always prided herself on her intuitive ability to see people’s spirituality, and right now, she can see just how sick Scorpia is. Sick and stagnant and lethargic. Even Scorpia’s look of surprise isn’t as intense as it should be.
Perfuma grits her teeth, feeling frustrated that she let Scorpia slip through her fingers this long. Perfuma could only do so much to help save or end a relationship in a respectable way, but she should’ve been looking out for Scorpia’s happiness long before now. It was foolish to believe that dumping Catra would solve everything.
She should have done more.
“Perfuma… exams are coming up,” Scorpia says weakly. Perfuma can tell she wants to go.
“And we will both have more free time now to catch up on study. I’ll even sacrifice pottery class next weekend and we can have a study date.”
Scorpia bites her lip and flits her gaze down.
“Aren’t you saving for your big holiday after exams?”
“Two days won’t blow a huge hole out my savings for that. And I can always take up extra shifts at work to make up for it.” Perfuma wonders if she is sounding desperate.
I’m not trying to be selfish and stealing you away. I want to help you reconnect with yourself. I want you to know you can still have a fun time with just yourself. I want to look after you while you heal.
I just want you to feel okay again.
Scorpia huffs, but a shy smile blooms on her face.
“Where would we even go? What about your plants?”
Perfuma can’t help but smile in return and shrug cheekily.
“We can just pick a direction and see what’s there, and my plants will be fine, promise.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen you go without a full day without your plants!” Scorpia laughs lightly, poking her tongue out a little. Perfuma scoffs jokingly.
“I’ll manage, just to prove you wrong.”
Scorpia shyly fiddles with some loose thread on Perfuma’s pink knit sweater.
“If you’re quite sure, um, then yeah. Let’s go. It will be fun.”
Perfuma ruffles Scorpia’s hair affectionately, before taking her hand away.
“C’mon, I’ll help you pack.”