Alfred and Ivan are getting married and Natalya is not taking it well. Alfred comforts her. Hurt/comfort. I headcanon Natalya also has BPD so Alfred can understand her in ways Ivan can't.
Alfred POV
"IVAN! WHY DO YOU RUN FROM ME?!"
"NYET, GET AWAY!" Ivan screams at the top of his lungs, shutting himself in a closet that I am surprised he can fit into.
I gently steer the upset blond woman away, sitting her down on the soft sofa. "He's okay, girlypop. He loves you, I promise."
She sobs, shaking her head. At a loss, I sit next to her. "I know he is your source of stability and happiness. Trust me, I get it. He was my favorite person for a while, too."
Her lip trembles. "But...he won't love me anymore after the m-marriage! I can't lose my brother!"
"You won't, little sister." Ivan sits by her, looking fearful but not so much now. "I will be here. And so will your therapist."
Natalya sniffles, and hugs her brother, who rubs her back. "See? You will still have a place, right here."
I add, "And you'll have me, dudette."
She giggles. "Thank you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One day, Ivan finds Natalya in the street, wandering and not seeming to know where she is. We both get her home, me immediately spotting the signs of severe dissociation. After she is guided to the sofa, watching her favorite TV show, I see writing all over the walls. Some of it is absolutely worrying, horrible things about herself. Ivan tears up, horrified his little sister could be struggling so badly.
The next time we worry is when she breaks her TV in a fit of anger, and then giggles as she cleans it up, her mood suddenly swinging back to happiness in a matter of minutes. I help her, knowing she shouldn't be left alone with all that glass.
When Natalya corners me one day and shows me a paper dictating she has BPD, I give her a big hug. "I suspected it, girlio. But I wanted you to come to your own conclusions. I knew I couldn't make you get help."
She smiles a little. It looks lovely on her. "Have you heard of this shit called DBT?"
I laugh. "Oh, yes. It's great, trust me. I'll even help you with it, if you like. It can be hard to start."
She excitedly nods. "And we spray paint some walls, too!"
I high five her. "TOTALLY!"
