informed consent | short story + one shots

getaway

Word count: 24,282

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"So, Mia, do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?" Natalie's voice was soft as she sat on the couch opposite Mia.

Mia had her knees tucked up, her long skirt drawn over her legs as she locked her arms around her shins. She had fluffy socks on the green, velvet couch she sat on with a little coffee table in between them.

Nat's office had an overall cosy vibe to it. Mia felt like it was one of the reasons she opened up to her in the first place. A candle was on the coffee table next to a box of tissues – which Mia had reached for more often than she cared to admit in the past few weeks – and the sweet cat that walked around sometimes.

Mia had a feeling the cat – named Ribbon – sensed whenever she was on the verge of tears. Somehow the grey feline jumped up her lap and snuggled into her chest when Mia had warm tears leaking down her eyes and felt her heart being squeezed.

And that's why Mia was here on the couch, for the first session of two in that week. She visited Nat regularly, especially now when she was in such an acute state of her anxiety. She had been in it ever since the charity event with her parents and Harry, where everything just went to shambles.

Mia had been feeling off ever since. Her anxiety was at a high and she couldn't control it, she couldn't deal with it.

After that night, something had just shifted.

Mia broke down badly. She couldn't handle the disappointment she caused, the pain she put Harry through. He was of course an angel, trying his very best to pull Mia through it, but it wasn't that easy. He needed help to attempt to get through to her and help her. He felt powerless, watching her go through something like that and unable to help her the way she wanted.

Mia didn't necessarily fully shut down. She didn't close off, not like she did when the new semester started, but she just became a little... numb. She wasn't as energized and she cried a lot, she was in bed often and couldn't really get out.

Harry and Hazel let it go on for two weeks – attempting to cheer her up and make her happy. And Mia smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. Guilt was eating her alive and she was hurt by the actions of her parents and brother. She couldn't believe how that entire evening had gone and remembered it mostly as a blur.

Mia tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear that had come loose from her brain. She softly nodded, and flicked her eyes to the side, noticing Ribbon who bobbed his head into the side of the couch. Mia swallowed and stretched her hand out, fingertips touching the gentle fur on top of Ribbon's head.

"I think so." She murmured. Nat nodded, putting down her notebook, "Okay. Can you repeat or wrap up what I've just told you?"

Mia sighed and glanced at Nat, "I suffered from narcissistic parental abuse."

"You did." Natalie nodded before leaving a pause, "How did it feel saying that out loud?"

Mia felt like she swallowed a lump in her throat, "Strange." She rasped sincerely, her voice shaking as she focussed back on Ribbon, stroking over his furry head as he purred and jumped up to join her on the couch. Mia nibbled her lip, "It's – uh... it's difficult. Like I never looked at it that way."

"Mhm." Nat nodded, "I think that's fair, that's... normal, actually. You were right in it for the longest time, which is actually when it's hardest to notice."

Mia softly nodded and Nat crossed her leg over the other, "Did you know there's different kinds of narcissistic parental abuse?"

"Really?" Mia scratched Ribbon underneath his chin as he nuzzled into her chest.