Adrift | DSMP AU

Seis

“You’re here?!” Niki yelled in shock. Puffy was sure everyone in the actual restaurant could hear the commotion going on back here but she didn’t mind. She hadn’t expected to meet Niki, of course they were looking for her but she didn’t think they’d find her, not this fast either.

“Yes, I am,” Puffy stated, it may sound like she didn’t want to be here but she was just shocked and didn’t know what else to say. Niki made eye contact with Puffy and in return Puffy looked down, her eyes met the mess that Niki had made when she dropped the food and Puffy was thankful that it only had solid foods. She started walking closer in order to pick it up for Niki but before she could bend down all the way Niki pulled her into a hug and she was forced to stay up.

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” Niki explained, her voice wavering and Puffy was sure if she looked at her face she’d be crying, so she didn’t. She didn’t want to feel the guilt of knowing that she was the reason Niki was crying right now, that she had left her alone all those years ago. That she was too much of a coward to continue fighting for the love she felt back then, and she still felt now.

It wasn’t hard to avoid Niki’s gaze. Afterall, Puffy is only five feet and two inches while Niki is a whole five feet and seven inches. Slowly Puffy wrapped her own arms around Niki’s waist as she let her head fall into the other’s chest. Behind her she could feel many gazes being thrown at her, 2 confused gazes of 2 people who had no idea the history behind these two (and a third one of someone who knew everything but was too awkward to say anything), people who didn’t know the many nights they would spend talking together. Didn’t know the loving gazes that they would throw at each other. People that didn’t know that their love never happened, because before Niki could finally gather the courage to ask Puffy to be her girlfriend… Puffy left. And Niki heartbroken, left too, and was forced to move on, move on from her love that never bloomed.

Niki would wonder in those years, what would have happened if they never accepted Schlatt’s orders, if they’d have runaway. If Tommy wasn’t dead. Would they be running this restaurant together? Going on vacation together? And maybe even at some point raising a family together? No, that wouldn’t have happened, because Niki wasn’t deserving of Puffy’s love, that’s why Puffy left without giving a single care of where Niki would go, with whom she would stay or even how she would survive without the one thing that gave her a source of income.

“I’m sorry,” Puffy apologized to Niki, her voice came out broken and wavering; Niki could feel Puffy’s tears soaking her work uniform and her short shaking body. She felt… hurt, hurt because the person she loved was sad but also hurt because the person she loved had left her alone for all those years and only now did they decide to come back. “I’m sorry Niki, it’s all my fault!” Puffy blamed herself for everything that had happened. Niki only needed this one sentence to understand something she hadn’t thought of before.

It was also her fault that everything went the way it did. Yes, Puffy was the one that left but she also didn’t try to stop her, didn’t try to tag along. Niki knew that Puffy would feel sorrow for many years to come, who wouldn’t when a child died due to their carelessness? Puffy didn’t leave because she wanted to hurt Niki, Puffy left because she was afraid of hurting her, of hurting the others. Puffy couldn’t afford to have another life lost in her care. Yes she was being a coward, but so was Niki! So was everyone who just watched as the crew fell apart and didn’t try anything to hold it together.   

So really, it wasn’t just Puffy’s fault. It was equally both Niki and Puffy’s fault that their relationship hadn’t worked out. But now Puffy was back here, and maybe, if they tried hard enough now they could make it work this time around. Maybe this was the universe’s way of giving their love a second chance, and Niki knew she wasn’t going to let it slide by only to later regret not taking this last chance she was given.