Only You

Round 2

TW/CN: Disordered eating, diet culture and body image issues are mentioned in this chapter. Read at your own discretion and if you feel that these things resonate with you for whatever reason, please know that help is available. Also everything about the "behind the scenes" at the ballet is a product of my imagination for dramatic purposes, so don't come for me<3

Jean slept well that night and not only because she was exhausted. The house felt calmer, as if an ancient balance had been reestablished.
When Reg joined her about an hour after she'd gone to bed, Jean shuffled over and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Jean, princess, you made me an incredible gift tonight." He whispered. Reg knew that she was fast asleep, but he just had to tell her. He and Kristina had cleared the air. Both of them had inherited their father's temper and so they were prone to be volatile, at least with each other. Things had been said that should have been left unsaid but it was water under the bridge now.
His sister was back and that was all that mattered, she was successful and seemed to be happy and content with the life, what else could a loving brother want for his little sister? For Reg, this seemed like a sign that things were going to be okay, even though he was almost entirely certain that the particular higher power behind this was Jean. She would never take credit, of course, but that only made him appreciate her more.

Downstairs in the guest room, Kristina was tossing and turning, she couldn't sleep. She had eaten way too much that day and even purging hadn't been able to counteract that terrible feeling of being a despicable glutton. Refusing the food Jean had offered her so kindly hadn't been an option, but it had gotten her into a rather sticky situation. The next day was a weigh-in day and she was terrified of Madame Chimère commenting on the weight she might have gained. The horror of being humiliated in front of the entire company kept her from falling asleep. She had noticed Jean's looks. Kristina knew that while her brother only wanted the best for her, he could be painfully oblivious to the obvious, and who could blame him, he was currently going through a lot.
But Jean was different. Kristina was convinced that even if she hadn't partly opened up to her brother's fiancée, Jean would have noticed. She had that way to see right through people. But how to keep her at a distance?
Being a prima ballerina for the Royal Ballet was something a lot of girls would kill for, Kristina was painfully aware of this harsh truth. She only needed to slip up once and one of the girls from the company would happily take over her role without batting an eyelid. There was no choice, she had to have a fast day the next day, she couldn't afford to gain weight. So instead of sleeping, she devised a plan to get away with skipping breakfast before going to work. She didn't want her brother to worry, but she couldn't afford to lose this position, the ballet was all she had.

The next morning when Jean came downstairs, Kristina was just washing up her plate.
"Good Morning! I have to leave early for work, but I made breakfast for everyone, I hope you don't mind I used the things from the cupboards." Kristina gave her the warmest smile she could muster that early. Jean yawned and stretched.
"That's very kind of you. Would you like to take some packed lunch? I'm making some for Reggie for the hospital anyway."
"Uhhhm... sure." Kristina hated the thought of wasting food but eating it seemed even worse. She would find somewhere to put it. Jean got to work as Kristina gathered the few things she'd brought to the house.
"It was very nice of you to just let me... come here and stay and such, I am honoured that you..."
"Kristina... Tina, if that's okay." She nodded. "I know that you probably see my public persona first. That often happens with people who meet me for the first time and I don't mind. But here, I am just me. Just a woman who loves her fiancé, just a normal person who wants to be friends with her future sister-in-law. I'd love to be your friend, Tina, and I sincerely hope you want to be my friend too."
"I'd... love to, really." Jean stepped forward and hugged Tina, who hugged her back. While outwardly bonding with her future sister-in-law, Kristina was panicking. She wanted Jean to like her, she wanted to be friends, but she couldn't afford to let her close enough to see the full truth, this was also to protect Reg.
"Thank you. For everything, I just really have to hurry." Jean smiled.
"Have a good day, and if you like, you could stop by for dinner again, Reggie will be done at the hospital around five, so we will eat at six."
"I'll... try to make it. I'll give you a call." Kristina smiled, but it was one of those non-committal smiles she had perfected by now. Of course she wouldn't make it. Not on weigh-in day.
While Tina rushed to the Ballet studio, Jean and Reg enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then Jean drove him to the hospital before going to work, hoping that her nausea wouldn't be too bad that day and more importantly, that everything would go well at the hospital.