Bubbles, second arc. Part 5: Regret

 Part five in the nine part second story of how Bubbles and Maki's relationship began.  Generously written by LFN Park.

If you're looking for the other stories in the series, you can find them by clicking the "Story" tag below this post.

Bubbles, Second Arc

Part 5: Regret

Bubbles stood outside the door  to the private dining room. She knew Maki was behind that door, eating her private lunch like she did every day. Bubbles could remember being with her in there, consuming whatever she’d grabbed from the cafeteria while Maki talked pleasantly of recent happenings and plans.

She inhaled deeply, steeling herself as she opened the door.

As expected, she saw Maki sitting in front of a bowl of salad at a long table, idly picking at it as she scrolled through something on a tablet. She wore a simple pair of jeans and a large shirt too big for her petite frame.

“This room is private.” Maki stated coldly, not looking up from her reading.

“I...wanted to talk. Alone.”

“That worked so well last time.” Bubbles winced at her sarcasm.

“Please.” The larger woman watched Maki sigh, clicking her tablet off and nodding towards her while still avoiding eye contact. Bubbles closed the door and sat down across from Maki, watching her pick further at her salad.

Bubbles’ hands fidgeted as she tried to find appropriate words. She’d been thinking for the last few days and still couldn’t figure out what to say, what words would mend the rift. The silence stretched between them for long, interminable moments, the only sound the fork scraping at the salad bowl.

“You wrecked that punching bag.” Maki said idly, popping a cherry tomato into her mouth.

“I..yes. I was upset.” Bubbles found her voice quieter, more timid than she expected. The silence returned as Bubbles tried to find Maki’s hazel eyes, but the smaller woman kept them pointedly down, focusing on the salad.

“I...don’t know what to say…”

“What’s there to say? I told you my deepest secret, the most painful thing I’ve ever been through, and you used it to hurt me.” Bubbles felt a pang run through her as Maki’s voice strained.

“I-I’m sorry.” Maki dropped the fork to the table, both hands rubbing her face with a low growl.

“Sorry? You’re sorry. That’s so…not enough.” Maki finally fixed her eyes to Bubbles blue orb. Inwardly the giantess cringed; all she saw was pain and anger reflected in them, none of the compassion she was used to.

“I gave myself to you, you know? I let you in. We made love, not sex. Sex is a biological necessity; making love is being emotionally connected, an intimacy that’s so much more fulfilling than sex. And you just stabbed me right in my heart.” 

“I don’t….know what to do. What to say. I was scared.” Bubbles felt herself floundering under Maki’s glare. 

“Of what? I’ve given you everything. Every comfort I can give to you, including my own body, has been provided...and you have the audacity to call me a monster, the very thing you’re afraid you are. How dare you?” Bubbles hunched her shoulders, feeling small and tiny. She felt something stinging the corner of her eye.

“Y-you’re not a monster. I was happy...it--I…”

“You were happy or you were scared? Because you sure as hell scared everyone in that gym. Did that make you happy? Did hurting me make you happy?” Maki muttered, pushing her bowl aside.

Bubbles gulped, her cheeks flushed as her blue eye turned down to her fidgeting hands.

“Maybe I should leave the island.” She whispered, feeling the tear slide down her cheek. Maki tilted her head towards the caramel giantess, her eyes narrowed.

“If you go, don’t come back. Take the plane ticket, and there’ll be no place here in Wanton Cove for you, Bubbles. I don’t know if you even want a place here. You don’t act like you do.” Maki pushed herself up from the chair, stomping out of the room. 

Bubbles sniffled, running her hand over face. Her chest hurt, pangs of sorrow and regret taking their turns on her.

She leaned forward, cradling her face in her hands as a sob slipped past her lips. Bubbles felt the helplessness grip her with cold fingers in her chest. There was no place she could think of to go, that she wanted to go...She couldn’t remember anything about her time as a child….the name of her hometown, the face of her father…

Bubbles stood as she felt her breath become short, the tightness in her chest increasing. When she stepped out of the dining room it had become painful, her breaths coming in short gasps as she struggled to fill her lungs.

The edges of her vision began to blur and grow dark as she staggered through the hall. The sound of her heart beat drowned everything else in her ears. She was dimly aware of people saying things to her, looking at her, but stepping aside as she went. Bubbles finally stopped, leaning against a wall as her legs grew weak and she felt like her sternum was in a vice. She slid down it, clutching at her chest as fear and panic began to grip her. Bubbles tried to cry out, but felt the words unable to reach her lips, coming out as more ragged gasps as people began to cluster around her. She felt her breathing increase, trying desperately to fill her lungs as her fingers began to tingle.

The darkness grew as she saw a familiar face come into view, horn rimmed glasses and dark skin filling her fading sight. Bubbles saw Margaret’s mouth move, but her words were drowned by the incessant beating reverberating in her head. The last thing she felt before losing consciousness was a hand gripping hers.

--

Maki leaned out her office window, a cigarette hanging from her lips as she looked out over the yard. She took a drag from it and blew a stream from her lips as she saw one of her charges in the grass, practicing some sort of dance with another as soft music drifted in the evening air. She tilted her head, watching the two sway back and forth before moving to more complicated and graceful motions.

She turned sharply when she heard a familiar snapping of fingers. Margaret stood in front of her desk, a victorian stare greeting Maki.

“Sorry, darling. I was….thinking.” Maki muttered, rubbing her forehead..

“I thought you quit smoking.” Margaret clucked disapprovingly. 

“It’s been a hard few days.” She sighed, snubbing the smoking cigarette in an ashtray on her desk.

“You don’t need to make excuses to me. It’s your lungs.” Margaret shrugged, folding her arms in front of her.

“How’s Bubbles?” Maki asked, turning back to the window.

“Sleeping. I checked her out at the clinic, but she stabilized after passing out. Makes me think she just fainted from hyperventilating. Has anything like that happened before?”

“....Almost. She started doing that about a week ago when she was drinking. She couldn’t remember her father’s face and started panicking. I managed to calm her down.” Maki sighed.

“Well. That’s kind of fucked up. Couldn’t you calm her this time?” Maki shot her an angry glare at her flippant tone.

“We’re not….on good terms. You know we had an argument.” She growled, running a hand through her black hair.

“I do. What about I don’t know, but whatever it was made the Wanton Giant hyperventilate and pass out.” Margaret shrugged again. Maki felt her ire rise at Margaret’s nomenclature for the larger woman..

“Don’t call her that. She hates that.”

“Why do you care? I thought she hurt you.” Maki leaned forward, her hands slapping against her desk.

“It doesn’t mean I want her to leave!” She snarled at the older woman, who simply smiled smugly. Maki cursed inwardly at her verbal slip; her patience had been thin all day and she’d let Margaret bait her...

“There it is. Did you threaten to throw that girl out of the cove?”

“No! Never.” Maki snapped at Margaret before slumping into her chair with a defeated sigh. “She suggested that she might leave. I told….god. I told her if she left not to come back.” The olive woman rubbed her face in frustration.

“Right, so she freaked out. It fits. The child hasn’t had a wealth of emotional experience. Probably couldn’t cope with the strain.” Margaret turned, stepping back towards the door.

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say about it?” Maki rested her head in her palm, hazel eyes staring at her.

“Child, I’m old enough to know not to get involved in a lovers quarrel, and I’m smart enough to know that you are quite aware of what you ought to do.” Margaret said wearily.

“You don’t know what she said….” Maki closed her eyes with a sigh. Margaret simply laughed, her hand on the door knob.

“Maki, Darren and I used to say the absolute worst things to each other when we were upset. He said things about my miscarriage, I said things about his abusive parents...But you can get past that, if you really want.” Margaret looked at Maki, her face stern as she opened the door.

“That begs the question; is this girl just another one of your flings... or do you actually care? I will point out; I’ve only seen you this upset over one other girl.” Maki stared at the door as it closed behind the older woman, her mind fuming and churning.

--

Maki watched the giantess slumber, resting her chin in her palm. The room was small, but she’d only ever intended it to be temporary for people recovering from injuries. The bed was a foot too small for Bubbles, but she’d curled her knees up to her chest while she slept, making her resemble an oversized child with her arms hugging them.

“God, you’re so sexy.” Maki murmured, admiring Bubbles caramel skin and well-defined arms. “You’re also adorable when you’re asleep.” She brushed a lock of hair from the cloth patch over her eye socket, a small smile touching Maki’s lips.

Bubbles began to stir, her vision blurred as her eye creeped open. She squinted as the blob in her sight sharpened into a familiar face, her eye widening as she recognized the smiling face of Maki.

“I-I…” Bubbles stuttered as she shrank away from the tiny woman. “I’m s-s…” She felt her breathing start to quicken again, that tightness creeping across her chest.

“Shhh. Stop.” Maki reached forward, grasping Bubbles cheeks in her hands as she spoke softly. The caramel girl froze at her touch, holding her breath as her body tightened.

“Slow breaths. Calm down.” Maki cooed, rubbing her thumbs against her caramel cheeks. Bubbles inhaled deeply, feeling the tightness begin to fade as she exhaled. She smelled ash and smoke faintly from Maki’s breath as it caressed her face.

“A-are you still angry?” Bubbles murmured, her single eye staring into her hazel depths.

“Yes...” Maki sighed, sadness swelling as she saw the pained expression on Bubbles’ face deepen. “Well. I’m not angry, I’m hurt. There’s a difference.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Bubbles murmured, tears forming in her eye.

“I know. I don’t know why though; why did you say those things? Why’d you hurt the boy?” Maki whispered, one hand drifting down to entwine with Bubbles larger grip.

“I don’t.. I..I was angry. I thought...You said to think how I was trained for...teaching them. What to do. What not...I thought about my old Master….I remembered how much I gave. How much he took. I found so much anger.” Bubbles halted as a sob slipped past her lips.

“Why? For how he treated you? For Gregory?” Maki’s other hand drifted down Bubbles caramel arm as she shifted, her large legs hanging off the edge.

“All of it. I was enraged...I wanted to hurt him. Hurt someone...hurt myself because...” Bubbles gulped, tears flowing down her cheek. “Being...with you, I know….I’ve--” She faltered, her hands trembling gently. Maki slipped her other hand into Bubbles palm, squeezing gently as she brought both of her hands to her lips.

“It’s okay, darling. Take it slow.” Maki said softly, giving each hand a gentle kiss. Bubbles inhaled again, steeling herself as she tried to find the right words.

“I’ve...I’m happy with you. I-I know….I’m happier than when I had Gregory. My own brother.” Bubbles sobbed, leaning forward. Maki wrapped her arms quickly around the crying girl’s neck as she dropped slowly from the bed to her knees on the cold floor, her head pressing against the smaller woman’s stomach.

“It feels wrong.” Bubbles sobbed, her baritone muffled against Maki’s shirt as her arms wrapped around the smaller woman's waist.

“Sweet girl. Gregory would want you to be happy, but why all this? Why hurt that boy? Why say such things to me?” Maki ran her hand through her hair gently.

“That boy….said something. Called me a freak. Master used to say things. Motivation, he said.” Bubbles sniffled, looking up at Maki. “It...reminded me of him. I just...I got angry. I...imagined it was him.”

“Darling...you can’t do that.”

“I know….I knew after I’d done it, but...You told me. Establish myself. Don’t let them see me sweat. I couldn’t break down there.” Maki sighed softly, remembering her pep talk prior to Bubbles first lesson.

“But me? Why hurt me?” Maki pressed.

“I...don’t know. I was happy….I’ve never been happy like this…” Bubbles straightened her back, drawing herself eye level with Maki. She tilted her head, one large hand reaching tentatively to the olive woman’s cheek and touching it gently.

“It scares me. I’ve never been so scared, but I’ve never been happier. I don't understand it. I don't know what to do.” Bubbles sobbed, her eye staring down to her lap.

Maki sighed, running her fingers along the caramel hand touching her cheek as she stared at the pained girl before her.

“You make it hard to be upset with you, sweet girl. Part of me wants to drag you to my room...” Maki leaned closer, her warm breath tickling Bubbles caramel ear. “I would do such things to you...sexy, wonderful things that would make you cry out in ecstasy…” The larger woman shivered for a moment in anticipation.

“Much as I want to….I still hurt, darling. You cut me deep enough to outweigh my libido. No small feat. I can’t be with you like this.” Maki sighed, pulling away from her.  Bubbles eye swiveled back to hers, a desperation apparent.

“Tell me how to fix this. Please. I’ll do anything.” She clutched the smaller woman's hand as she begged. “I….I will leave, if you wish.”

“I don’t want you to leave. Just give me time, sweet girl. Time to heal.” Maki smiled sadly, caressing her caramel hand. “There’s nothing you can do to fix us, darling. We can work on your anger, at least.”

“I don’t know what to do.” Bubbles murmured, crestfallen.

“I have an idea.”