Today was the day.

  No screw ups. No messes. No whining.

  Ci was prepared to take on the world if Babcia asked her to do it. In her mind, she had been nothing but a failure to this household, this system she was now a gear in... and a faulty one at that. Instead of trying to sleep in to get woken up by Remora, Ci was up at the crack of dawn with her, combing her short hair out, and drawing a curious smile from Remora.

  "Oh. You're up." Remora noted as she stood in front of her modest little vanity to do her hair and makeup. Ci only nodded in response with a fre of determination in her eyes. "Babcia working you hard today?" She flickered her eyes to the reflection of Ci in her mirror. Ci sighed, fixing her dress.

  "Whatever it is, I'm not gonna let her down. Not today." Ci shook her head at the concept of failure alone. Remora hummed in response, and Ci rushed to her side, cupping her hand inside hers. "I promise you, I'm going to show you both that I'm worth your hospitality." Ci met her gaze with burning eyes. Remora blinked at her, parting her lips in surprise at the sudden spark that set abze this once meek and fragile girl. She then smiled, squeezing her hand back.

  "You're doing fine, Ci. No one expected you to be the perfect peasant in a day..." Remora reassured, but Ci only shook her head.

  "Today's the day for improvement. I'll prove it." She stood up with her chin high. Before Remora could respond, Ci was already out the bedroom door and heading down the stairs to receive her first task for the day from Babcia. Remora sighed, staring at the vacant doorway she fled through for a second too long, then back to the mirror.

  Babcia was in the kitchen, humming a soft tune to welcome the morning. Ci practically popped out of thin air before her with a puffed out chest and her hands on her hips.

  "Good morning, Miss Monagrail! I'm ready for my first task! Don't hold back on me, I'm sure to make you proud today!" Ci announced with full confidence. Babcia turned around with a raised eyebrow. The girl was practically beaming with determination. The old woman shrugged.

  "Eager are we? Well... These dishes could use drying..." She turned, waving her hand towards the small stack of dishes on the side. Ci defted a little. She looked to her task, noticing how minimal it was in its requirements of skill. But she tucked away her dismay and got to work.

  She got quickly done, wiping the st dish and setting it away.

  "What's next, what's next?" Ci nearly bounced with anticipation. Babcia quirked a smile at her.

  "Mmm... There's a couple clothes that could use folding..." Babcia offered. Ci was beginning to wilt. She looked to the small basket of clothes in the living room and sighed. "That's fine," she thought to herself. "These are just the easy morning tasks. Surely something grueling is coming." She nodded in assurance as she quickly went to the undry, folding it neatly and perfectly. By the time she was done, Remora was heading out the door, wishing her luck. Now the real trial begins...

  Or so she thought. She did every simple task Babcia asked of her.

  "You fed the chickens?" Ci nodded. "Raked the leaves?" Ci nodded. "Swept the floors?" Ci nodded. Babcia hummed.

  "Great. Then you're done for the day." Babcia turned to the kitchen counter. Ci blinked in surprise.

  "What...? Just like that? Nothing else? No... fixing stuff... or... mending stuff... or cleaning... no nothing???" she whimpered. Babcia shook her head.

  "There's really not much else." Babcia affirmed. Ci whined again.

  "You're not even going to check if I did it right? I could've messed everything up!" She motioned to the floors where she swept. Babcia shook her head again.

  "I trust you." She hummed, kneading some dough. Ci melted into a puddle of despair. She expected to be challenged... and yet the day was so underwhelming. She then curiously peeked over Babcia's shoulder to see what she was doing. Seeing the dough, she stepped next to her eagerly.

  "Can I help you?" Babcia ughed and lifted her finger, wagging it.

  "Oh no, you're not ready to enter this kitchen yet, young dy. I can have you mess up chores but not my good cooking." Babcia teased. Ci simply wilted into the dining table chair. Her leg bounced and she sighed restlessly. The consistent tapping of her foot on the ground caused Babcia to sigh.

  "Fine... I have something for you... but it's okay if you don't want to do it." Ci practically leaped out of the chair and was before Babcia upon hearing those words. Babcia smirked and motioned for her to follow her outside.

  Babcia led them to an abandoned garden. The wood was rotting that fenced in the area, but the most unsightly thing was the forest of weeds that hoarded the ground. Babcia crossed her arms in disappointment at the sight.

  "I used to love gardening... but we simply couldn't care for it this summer. Remora picked up more shifts and my back is too old to tend to the weeds... Usually we'd start our fall pnting by now, but we've just let this old pce go to waste..." Babcia expined. Ci looked upon the towers of weeds and vining pnts. Babcia turned to her with a hesitant look. "...But if you want the challenge and dig up all those weeds, you go for it." She offered. Ci gulped at the task before her.

  Babcia briefly showed her how to pull up a few weeds from the roots, before her back quickly began to ache and she groaned as she stood.

  "Knock yourself out." Babcia patted her on the back, tossing her some gloves. Ci blinked, feeling like the weeds were looming over her taller and taller by the second. She took a breath and grabbed the first one, groaning as she yanked it out with all her might.

  ...

  Ci didn't even realize the hours that past, how the air grew colder as her skin burned and sweat trickled from her brow, and how the sun crossed the sky until she heard Babcia calling her in.

  "Ci! Dinner!" The old woman beckoned. Ci peered up at her with surprise. Dinner already? She lifted to her feet, wincing at the stiffness in her back and stretching it. She came inside, only to fall into a chair and slump against the table.

  "Wash up before you eat... My, you sure worked yourself." Babcia smirked. Ci groaned as she lethargically dragged herself to the sink, washing the dirt from her hands and arms. She returned to her chair, practically liquifying in it from her aching muscles and exhaustion. "You hardly took a break... you'll work yourself to death like that." Babcia's tone softened, pcing a pte of shepherd's pie and some greens in front of her. Ci's stomach roared and yet she had to fight her arms to move to pick up her fork. She melted into a dream as she took the first bite. Food had never tasted any better...

  ...

  The evening drifted along. Babcia and Ci had already finished eating, and Ci rested her head on the table as Babcia washed up the dishes, smiling occasionally at the sight of the sleepy girl. It was then Ci was startled awake by the sound of the front door smming and someone coming in, cursing under their breath.

  Ci turned to see Remora, yanking off her boots and tossing them into the cubby by the door with excess force. She could practically see the steam coming off her red face and the boiling rage in her eyes as the girl uttered any swear word she could find in a harsh whisper.

  "How was work, honey?" Babcia didn't even turn to her granddaughter as a smirk crossed her face. She's seen this side of Remora one too many times.

  "How was work? Oh yeah, JUST great. Fantastic even! I swear, the next time I see a god damned royal I'm gonna break their teeth in." Ci practically shrank in her chair and Remora widened her eyes at her. "Oh uh... Not you, Ci..." Remora assured before her anger quickly returned as she stormed through the room and to the stairs.

  "Calling me heavy... Look who's talking you balding... wrinkly... old... fat... stupid... motherf..." She muttered, her biting voice growing muffled and distant as she charged up the stairs, smming her door. Ci was frozen in horror from the sight, curled up in her chair. Babcia sighed, shaking her head.

  "Poor girl..." She noticed Ci's terror and chuckled. "Don't worry about her... Remora just gets into these cranky fits sometimes becaue of her work... That, and she hasn't been sleeping well..." Ci turned to Babcia with sad eyes, guilt hitting her like a train.

  "Oh Gods... I feel horrible for taking her bed... She must be so uncomfortable and it's all because of me..." Ci murmured as she looked towards the stairs. Babcia shook her head.

  "Don't worry about that, honey. Remora can handle herself." Babcia reassured, turning back to the sink. Her words didn't help Ci to feel any better though; she felt the shame swallowing her whole.

  Then, an idea popped into her mind as she gazed over at the weathered couch.

  ...

  Remora descended the stairs after a nice hot shower, her temper calmed and her tiredness creeping in. She sat down at the dining room table with a bowl of food, joining Ci. A smile crept up on her lips as she looked over at Ci, who was hanging onto consciousness by a thread.

  "You look exhausted... You know, you can tell Babcia when she's making you do too much. She can be a hardass sometimes but she's understanding-" She tilted her head curiously when Ci nodded no.

  "I was the one who wanted to work hard today." Ci reaffirmed, her eyes fluttering tiredly. Remora smiled, feeling impressed. "Remora?" Ci added. Remora hummed and met her gaze again. "I can take the couch tonight." Ci smiled to work up her bravery. Remora's brow furrowed with a pyful squint and a smirk.

  "Oh, Ci... it's no problem really-" Ci shook her head again.

  "No really, I mean it. Babcia told me you haven't been sleeping well and on top of that you had a miserable day at work... Let me do this for you." Ci pleaded, pcing her hand on top of Remora's, her gaze unwavering.

  Remora sat back in her chair, her eyes beaming slightly. She wanted to resist but... Gods, a good night's sleep was just the thing she needed. She turned her head away with a look of hesitation.

  "You... sure...?" She smiled, like it was a joke. But Ci didn't smile, her eyes remained fixed, and she nodded. Remora blinked at her, and that sudden fluttery feeling returned. She took a moment to process her seriousness before responding. "Oh... Well... Okay, if you insist."

  ...

  That night, Ci id her body down onto the couch. She immediately grimaced at the feeling of it. It was lumpy, the fabric wasn't soft, and it was small. She had no idea how Remora slept on this with how tiny it was, and Ci was a few inches taller than the peasant girl. She huffed with determination and pulled the bnkets up over her. She was ready to face this. She was ready to prove herself.

  Despite her exhaustion, she tossed and turned. Sleep was no friend to her this night. She groaned and stared at the ceiling, shifting every few seconds to try to find the sweet spot to y... a sweet spot that never arrived. She groaned, turning over to face the stairs once more, only to see a figure standing in the dark. A figure she recognized as Remora with her arms crossed. She could faintly make out a smug look on the girl's face in the dark.

  Ci gasped and spun herself around, facing the backrest of the couch and cmping her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. She heard Remora scoff at her.

  "Uh huh..." Remora smiled, coming over and sitting on the edge of the couch, her body facing her. "You're not fooling anyone you know." Remora quipped.

  "I don't know what you're talking about... I'm asleep." Ci rebuked quietly. Remora ughed and it made Ci's stomach flutter.

  "I'm not talking about just that. I'm talking about this whole 'proving yourself' thing you're doing." Remora nudged her. Ci flustered and sat up, looking at her with pathetic eyes.

  "I'm just trying to be useful... to not be a burden-" She was quickly silenced as Remora put a finger against her lips, and she felt her heart almost stop.

  "Stop calling yourself that. Seriously. You're not a burden. And even if you were, working yourself to the point of exhaustion and forcing yourself to be uncomfortable doesn't help." Remora expined, taking her finger away. Ci whined.

  "But this is what I've learned about peasant life. I used to think it was going to be about being free and not having to listen to anybody... But it's not... It's uncomfortable... It's hard. Isn't that the point? Being able to handle anything?" Ci turned her head as Remora giggled again, a desperate look in her eyes that sought understanding.

  "Yes... Peasant life is hard. It's shit honestly... But you're missing another component of this life entirely..." Remora allured. Ci blinked with curiosity.

  "It involves relying on each other... Like... how the tradesmen rely on the sailors to export their goods, or the shopkeeps rely on the farmers for produce, or even just a neighbor in need of baking supplies... I mean... just look at me and Babcia. We wouldn't be where we are without each other. She relies on me to go to work to make the money, and I rely on her to have a warm, cozy home and a nice dinner to come back to everyday. Yes, this life teaches you how to be self-sufficient and tough as nails... but it also teaches you how to lean on others when you need it. Everyone in this life is somewhere different, but everyone struggles. And no, you may not be a peasant... you don't suffer like we do... and because of that, I've always... struggled to empathize with your kind of people... but after what you told me... why you ran from your wedding... I learned that its clear you have your battles too... I recognize that, Ci."

  Remora pced her hand on top of Ci's a warm smile on her face as her eyes shone with wisdom. Ci's heart thudded inside her chest and her cheeks burned, her eyes beaming at the girl's words. Remora let out an amused huff when she realized she left the girl speechless, and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

  "Now... come on..." Remora stood, pulling Ci to her feet. Ci blinked at her.

  "Where are we going?" She followed her curiously to the stairs.

  "How about... neither of us brave that awful couch. We'll share my bed. I think we both could use a good night's rest." Remora offered with a yawn.

  Ci's heart dropped into her stomach at the offer and her face went hot again. Share a bed... SHARE a bed...!?!?! She felt her internal panic rear up but she silently nodded as Remora pulled her up the stairs and to her room. Ci couldn't even process it, nor did she understand why this act was making her so fluttery. It was too te for her to protest before Remora was pulling the bnkets over the both of them, ying on her side to face Ci.

  "Just don't kick me in your sleep, okay?" Remora half-joked. Ci ughed awkwardly and nodded. Remora sighed and her eyes fluttered shut. All Ci could do was stare at her. She was comfy, but her heart suddenly ached, remembering how she used to see Jamie like this. She had already begun to take in the small details of the other woman's face, her eyes stopping for a moment too long on Remora's lips... how they had a simir shade to Jamie's...

  She sharply turned on her back, avoiding making such an unwise comparison, but her thoughts already began to mangle her mind. Gods... how much she missed her... how much she just wanted to tell her how sorry she was... how little things started to remind Ci of her everyday... The ache in her chest was only growing hollower and hollower each night... and the warmth of the girl next to her was causing it to well up with guilt and shame. She couldn't help a tear escaping her and falling onto the pillow with a subtle pat as she let her eyes close for the night.

  So much for a good night's sleep...

  Authors Note:

  Woof!!! Sorry this was kinda a long one!!! Domesticity is NOT my forte, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways!!!