dream even more. "What would you do, in Valeria?"
Berlin hesitated.
"C'mon. Tell me," Cherry begged teasingly.
"I'd like to open an inn."
"Yeah?" Cherry's enthusiasm seemed genuine, so Berlin went on.
"Yeah. I think I'd like that, to see all the people as they come and go, hear their stories."
"I could dance," Cherry offered.
Berlin laughed. "I thought you wanted to get away?"
"It's different. I like to dance. And I wouldn't have to do it all the time, just when I wanted to. The rest of the time, I could clean tables or cook food. It would be different because you wouldn't make me dance if I didn't want to."
"I could make you do a lot of things." Berlin's voice was quiet.
"Yes. Yes, you could." That was a simple statement of fact, one that thrilled and scared them both.
"I'd never make you do anything you didn't want to do," Berlin said, her voice soft but firm. "Ever."
*~*~*
For her second fight Cherry was fighting Mriah and she was much more comfortable, in part because she knew Mriah well and partly because the initial nerves—terror—had worn off.
The fight went well. She lost, as planned, but it was a good fight. Mriah told her what a good job she'd done as Cherry watched Berlin's fight.
It was brutal and quick. Berlin was in her headspace, and her opponent just couldn't match her technically or physically. In a flurry of swift punches and quick kicks, Berlin's opponent was pinned down in surrender.
Berlin didn't talk much when they got home, just changed into street clothes and packed a bag with a few items and left in the early evening with no explanation but a flat, "Don't wait up for me."
Of course Cherry did. She spent hours with a mug of tea wondering just what Berlin was hiding. It wasn't that Berlin was quiet; Berlin never said much. There was something in the way she acted, like she was ashamed of something, and the hardness in her eyes had an edge that Cherry hadn't seen before. Cherry had thought they were past secrets, for the most part; she had thought that with all the recent heart to hearts, Berlin finally trusted her, was finally opening up to her.
Clearly, she was wrong.
It was well after midnight when the door opened. With the moonlight streaming behind Berlin, Cherry couldn't see her face—until she stepped inside.
Cherry gasped; she couldn't help herself. There was blood everywhere , dripping from Berlin's nose and mouth, staining the front of her shirt, congealing across her hands.
Berlin started with a wince. "Cherry." The hesitance in her voice proved that she knew she had been caught and wouldn't escape without an explanation. "I told you not to wait up for me."
"Berlin …" Cherry finally found her voice. "What happened?"
Berlin shrugged, pulling a face at the movement.
"Come here." All of a sudden, making sure Berlin was alright was a lot more important that finding out what had happened.
She settled Berlin in a chair and carefully pulled off her shirt, biting her lip when Berlin gave a small whimper. Fetching water and a cloth, she cleaned away the blood from Berlin's face as gently as she could, wiping away what had run down her throat and chest before dabbing at her knuckles. Berlin's muscles jumped on instinct when Cherry ran her fingers over her ribs, but none of them seemed broken. She wrapped up Berlin's split knuckles before finally turning her attention to Berlin's face.
When she cautiously extended her fingers toward Berlin's face, Berlin jerked away. "Don't. Don't touch it."
Cherry let her hands fall away. "Is anything broken?"
"My nose."
"Your … Bee, I don't … What …?"
Berlin shook her head carefully. "I'll do it." She took a few deep breaths through her mouth, gripped her chair with one hand, and twisted her nose with the other. Her scream made Cherry's stomach roll, and when she opened her eyes, Berlin was so pale she looked like she was going to throw up or pass out. Her breaths were shallow, and her eyes were glassy.
"Bed," Cherry
Berlin hesitated.
"C'mon. Tell me," Cherry begged teasingly.
"I'd like to open an inn."
"Yeah?" Cherry's enthusiasm seemed genuine, so Berlin went on.
"Yeah. I think I'd like that, to see all the people as they come and go, hear their stories."
"I could dance," Cherry offered.
Berlin laughed. "I thought you wanted to get away?"
"It's different. I like to dance. And I wouldn't have to do it all the time, just when I wanted to. The rest of the time, I could clean tables or cook food. It would be different because you wouldn't make me dance if I didn't want to."
"I could make you do a lot of things." Berlin's voice was quiet.
"Yes. Yes, you could." That was a simple statement of fact, one that thrilled and scared them both.
"I'd never make you do anything you didn't want to do," Berlin said, her voice soft but firm. "Ever."
*~*~*
For her second fight Cherry was fighting Mriah and she was much more comfortable, in part because she knew Mriah well and partly because the initial nerves—terror—had worn off.
The fight went well. She lost, as planned, but it was a good fight. Mriah told her what a good job she'd done as Cherry watched Berlin's fight.
It was brutal and quick. Berlin was in her headspace, and her opponent just couldn't match her technically or physically. In a flurry of swift punches and quick kicks, Berlin's opponent was pinned down in surrender.
Berlin didn't talk much when they got home, just changed into street clothes and packed a bag with a few items and left in the early evening with no explanation but a flat, "Don't wait up for me."
Of course Cherry did. She spent hours with a mug of tea wondering just what Berlin was hiding. It wasn't that Berlin was quiet; Berlin never said much. There was something in the way she acted, like she was ashamed of something, and the hardness in her eyes had an edge that Cherry hadn't seen before. Cherry had thought they were past secrets, for the most part; she had thought that with all the recent heart to hearts, Berlin finally trusted her, was finally opening up to her.
Clearly, she was wrong.
It was well after midnight when the door opened. With the moonlight streaming behind Berlin, Cherry couldn't see her face—until she stepped inside.
Cherry gasped; she couldn't help herself. There was blood everywhere , dripping from Berlin's nose and mouth, staining the front of her shirt, congealing across her hands.
Berlin started with a wince. "Cherry." The hesitance in her voice proved that she knew she had been caught and wouldn't escape without an explanation. "I told you not to wait up for me."
"Berlin …" Cherry finally found her voice. "What happened?"
Berlin shrugged, pulling a face at the movement.
"Come here." All of a sudden, making sure Berlin was alright was a lot more important that finding out what had happened.
She settled Berlin in a chair and carefully pulled off her shirt, biting her lip when Berlin gave a small whimper. Fetching water and a cloth, she cleaned away the blood from Berlin's face as gently as she could, wiping away what had run down her throat and chest before dabbing at her knuckles. Berlin's muscles jumped on instinct when Cherry ran her fingers over her ribs, but none of them seemed broken. She wrapped up Berlin's split knuckles before finally turning her attention to Berlin's face.
When she cautiously extended her fingers toward Berlin's face, Berlin jerked away. "Don't. Don't touch it."
Cherry let her hands fall away. "Is anything broken?"
"My nose."
"Your … Bee, I don't … What …?"
Berlin shook her head carefully. "I'll do it." She took a few deep breaths through her mouth, gripped her chair with one hand, and twisted her nose with the other. Her scream made Cherry's stomach roll, and when she opened her eyes, Berlin was so pale she looked like she was going to throw up or pass out. Her breaths were shallow, and her eyes were glassy.
"Bed," Cherry
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