The Shield of Galar

Confessions and Realizations

Once back at the house, the walk mostly just consisting of them laughing, Gloria leads them to her couch and goes and starts some water for tea.  Now that the two visitors have settled down, the reality of the situation sinks in.

"Gloria," Marnie calls out.  "We do really need to talk,"

"Yeah, we do" Gloria responds as she gets the tea leaves ready for when the water is boiling.  She then shuffles out and sits in the chair nearby.  "Well, speak,"

Gloria crosses her legs and leans back in her chair with fingers crossed.  Her eyes twitch between Marnie and Bea.  The other two look at each other and eventually Marnie speaks up.

"Gloria, I was stupid," she starts.  "And the things I said, I was just scared that if I told you how I really felt..."

"What? That both of you have feelings for me?" Gloria states, complete calm in her voice as she says it. Meanwhile the eyes are bulging out of both of her friend's heads just as the kettle starts whistling. Without waiting for them to respond she gets up and heads to the kitchen to pour their tea.

"H...how long have you known?" Bea asks while Gloria adds the milk and sugar.

"You guys must think I'm pretty dumb huh," Gloria giggles as she brings out two teacups. One with a bit of milk, no sugar for Bea, and black but lots of sugar for Marnie. "You are my best friends, you really think I couldn't tell that you probably had some feelings towards me?" She asks while adding a bit of milk and sugar to hers before sitting down again.

"If you knew, then why did you strip in front of me?" Bea blurts out, blushing bright red. Marnie stares mouth agape at Bea.

"You got to see her naked?!" Marnie screeches, her voice cracking as she asks.

"I wasn't naked, I was in my panties. A state we have all seen each other in, be it while changing in locker rooms at the stadiums, or when we were sharing a tent during our trip,"

"Well, yeah, maybe," the two girls say in unison, a blush crossing each of their faces as they stare down into their tea. There is a silence, only interrupted as they each take sips of their drink. Finally, as Gloria's cup reaches its bottom

"So what now?" Gloria asks while setting her empty cup the table next to her before crossing her legs and leaning on her right arm in the chair.

"I...I don't know," Marnie responds. "None of my mental preparation took into account that you might already know how I feel,"

"Good to know that every iteration of me in your mind is still the naïve and ignorant fool I was all those years ago," Gloria scoffs and redirects her attention to Bea. "And what about you? Did you decide Marnie was going to have first crack at me, and you'd get dibs if it didn't go well?"

Bea blushes deeper and tries to take a sip from her empty cup, hoping by sheer will she can make more tea manifest so as to swallow the knot in her throat. Gloria sighs and hides her eyes in her hand.

"I'm at a total loss," Gloria sighs, trying to hide the fact that she is once again on the verge of crying. "You both take off, leave me, avoid me, whatever, and then come back only so you can get off your chest something I've known since before you both vanished," Bea and Marnie both go to say something, but it feels like the air is stolen from their lungs before a word leaves their mouths. "I thought it was because of me," Gloria looks at them now, her eyes with freshly formed tears. "I figured you both just abandoned our friendships because the thought of being with me was just, unbearable,"

"No!" Bea cries out, slamming her fist onto the arm of the chair. "Spending time with you, hanging out with you, we both loved it. Why do you think we both ended up falling for you?"