Chapter Text
It was a rainy evening at Spellman Mortuary. Zelda was sitting with her family and her 13-year-old daughter, Prudence, in the living room. A knock on the door distracts everyone's attention.
"Who could it be?" Zelda asked, frustrated.
"I don't know Zelds" Hilda said, rising from her floral armchair "I'll be right back"
"I am coming with you" Sabrina shouted from the other side of the room.
Hilda opened the front door and revealed a brunette with her hair in a updo and large glasses on her nose. Her clothes were wet from the rain, a few sport of dirt made themselves known on her legs.
"Hello, how can I help you?" Hilda said with a comforting smile on her face, knowing something must have happened. But before the brunette could say anything Sabrina came in front of Hilda "Miss Wardwell!" she shouts "What brought you here?"
"Sabrina! Hi, um-, is this where you live?" she said blushing, her eyes showing a bit of panic.
"Yes, i think I told you that my aunts are running a mortuary. Come on in!" Sabrina said opening the door more. Mary took off her shoes and followed Sabrina to the kitchen. Hilda then realized that Mary's clothes were wet so she took a blanket to put it over Mary's shoulders, the woman thanking her politely.
Zelda thought she had been waiting for her sister and niece for too long so she went to check what Hilda and Sabrina were plotting. She entered the kitchen and the first thing she saw was Mary drinking a cup of tea with Hilda and Sabrina "Who are you?" She asked looking at the brunette with a bit of disgust in her eyes. Her sweater was torn showing a part of her waist and her skirt was up to her mid-thigh as if she had run away from someone. She gestured Hilda to take Sabrina and leave the room.
"What happened?" Zelda asked confusedly, looking between her sister and the stranger sitting at the table. She somehow sensed something awful happened to the woman in front of her and tried to soften her expression.
"I'm Mary Wardwell" Mary presented herself, almost crying. Zelda noticed the tears which were about to fall on Mary's cheeks so she interrupted her by saying "You should change your clothes, if you don't you'll catch a cold"
"No, I am fine, I think I should go home now, thank you" Mary said rising from her chair. What a mistake she thought she made. Accidentally coming to a student's home in a random evening.
"You don't seem like you are" Zelda softly replied, trying not to scare the woman. She sees that the woman is trembling so she lowered her voice even more "Follow me". Mary looked up at Zelda with wide eyes before standing and shyly following Zelda through her house. On their way there she looked around the house, her eyes scanning a few of the pictures that hang on the walls, but quickly looked back down at her feet.
When they entered in what she thought was Zelda's room. The woman she didn't yet find out her name walked directly to her closet and started searching for clothes she could borrow Mary. She chose something simple just a pair of trousers and a random T-shirt.
After giving Mary the clothes, she realized that maybe she should add a bra to them. Mary turned to go to the bathroom but stopped when she heard Zelda's voice "Mary wait, maybe you'll need this too" Zelda said putting one of her Louis Vuitton lace bras on top of the clothes. Mary just blushed and made her way to the bathroom.
Zelda sat down on the corner of her bed as she waited for Mary to come out from the bathroom. Yet she couldn't stop thinking at Mary wearing her bra. She shouldn't think of a person she's just met that way, but there was something about Mary that she couldn't name.
Mary came out of the bathroom shortly after and Zelda motioned for her to sit next to her on the bed. "Are you going to tell me what happened and why are you here?" She asked with her eyes focused on the wall. When she turned her head to see Mary, she had tears on her cheeks. Zelda's gaze softened when she saw how vulnerable the woman in front of her looked. Somehow she wanted to comfort her, but she couldn't get too close since they were still strangers
"I'm sorry, I know it's late and this must have been unexpected, but I didn't know where to go a-and then I saw the mortuary" Mary said before a sob left her mouth.
Zelda waited quietly for the woman to find her words, she herself wanting to know what shattered the brunette. Mary breathed deeply and continued "M-my fiancé, he ,um-, you know, w-we..." she stammered, panting as tears flooded her eyes. Zelda waited and since the teacher didn't seem to intend on speaking again, she took her hand, trying to make her feel more comfortable and eventually open up.
"Look, Mary, I know we barely know each other, but I need to know, okay?" Zelda inquired her hand comfortable in Mary's "At least tell me if you're hurt. Could you do that?" Zelda rubbed her hand gently with her thumb.
"Just a few scratches" Mary spoke, looking down at her hands with tears in her eyes.
"Did your fiancé hurt you?" Interrogated Zelda, satisfied that Mary gathered the courage to answer her previous question.
"No, I got them while running through the woods"
"Why were you running?" She hoped Mary was comfortable enough to reply. She felt so much sympathy for the sweet woman in front of her and she somehow felt like hugging her and telling her that everything's okay even if she didn't know the whole story yet.
"Because I was scared"
"Scared of what?" Zelda carefully asked, her heart breaking slowly at the image derulating in front of her "Did your fiancé scare you?". When she hadn't received any more answers, just more tears spilling from Mary's eyes she understood.
"Why?" She inquired, sighing.
"He insisted to do things with me"
Zelda nodded, softly letting go of Mary's hand, immediately missing the warm.
Looking at Mary in that situation made her remember her past self, but she didn't have the courage to run as Mary did. She sat there listening to the woman's sobs, thinking about no other than herself. Thinking about how much pain she endured in her marriage both physical and mental.
Nights in the Blackwood's house couldn't really be called 'nice', only a miracle could make them that way. They usually ended up with Zelda bleeding from any part of her body. As long as there was her blood her husband didn't really care.
Mary saw that Zelda was also crying so she didn't say anything. The brunette put her head on Zelda's shoulder and wrapped her arms around her waist. The redhead's jaw dropped. Such an innocent hug almost made her loose her mind. It was usually hard, knowing that you had nobody to look after you, but why did a stranger suddenly fill her whole heart?
"I'm sorry I made you cry" Mary confessed, tightening her arms around the redhead.
"Mary, I think we should go to sleep, it's getting late" Zelda whispered.
"I'll go back home, you needn't worry about me" Mary whispered back.
"No, you're staying, how could I let you go back there? What if he seriously hurts you?" Zelda exclaimed, shaking her head "Come, I'll prepare the guest room for you" Zelda said, holding out her hand. The moment Mary's hand touched Zelda's hand, she felt a warmth pass through her body.
Zelda took some clean sheets from the closet and put them on the bed "Okay, so the bathroom is right there, if you need anything don't avoid to call me or knock at my door, hm?" Zelda said and Mary nodded "I am going to bring you a PJ or a nightgown" Zelda said before leaving. Mary hadn't felt well since she got there and ran directly to the bathroom. She knelt in front of the toilet and involuntary started throwing up.
When Zelda came back in the room, she noticed that Mary wasn't there anymore "Mary?" she heard noises coming from the bathroom so she knocked at the door "Mary? Are you alright? Can I come in?" no one answered so she opened the door slowly.
Mary was there staying on the floor, crying. The sight melted Zelda's heart "Are you okay?" Mary turned her head to Zelda. Zelda leaned against the doorframe, looking at Mary with tears in her eyes. She approached Mary and took her hand in hers to help her get up.
She helped Mary reach the bed. "Do you want me to help you put these on?" Zelda asked pointing to the nightgown "If you feel comfortable, of course".
Even though she knew she was not in her comfort zone, Mary accepted since it was hard for her to move. Zelda took off Mary's T-shirt and did the same with her trousers. Zelda couldn't help herself and glanced at Mary's body. She admired every freckle and curve she could see. Mary was definitely beautiful.
Mary caught Zelda staring at her so she cleared her throat. She realized she had been watching for a long time "I- I'm sorry, um-, do you- do you sleep with the bra on?" Zelda asked trying not to look like she wants to see more of Mary's body. Mary didn't want to expose herself more than she already did "Y-yes".
"Okay" Zelda says putting the nightgown on Mary. "Good night"
"Good night"
She left Mary's room after turning off the lights and walked back to her own. She still felt a slight ache in her chest even if Mary had calmed down. She got into her bed, pulled the duvet over her and hoped to fall asleep as fast as possible.