Silly Theatrics
The wind howled as Gigi’s grip tightened around Cecilia’s wrist, her fingers firm and unyielding. Cecilia dangled over the imaginary precipice, the ground far below, her ‘heart’ racing from the adrenaline and the sheer absurdity of their little game.
“Gigi… You can’t hold on forever. Just let me go!” Cecilia called out dramatically, her voice thick with feigned desperation. Her body swayed in the air, and she struggled to keep her balance, her breath catching in her throat as she tried not to burst into laughter.
Gigi’s face was set in a fierce expression, her grip like iron on Cecilia’s wrist. “No! I won’t let you fall! Not again!” she shouted, her words shaking with intensity, though her voice betrayed her—she, too, was trying to hold back a grin. “You’re going to make it, Ceci! Hold on just a little longer!”
But Cecilia, ever the dramatist, threw her head back, feigning defeat. “You don’t get it, Gigi! I’m deadweight! I’m just a machine… an automaton. I’ll survive, but you—” She gasped dramatically. “You’ll fall to your doom!”
Gigi’s brow furrowed, her eyes intense. “Ceci, don’t talk like that. We both will make it, I promise.” Her grip tightened even more, as if the strength of her words could keep them both safe. “We’re in this together.”
But Cecilia shook her head, her voice dripping with false resignation. “I’ve already accepted my fate, Gigi. You’ve got to let me go. I can’t be the reason you die here.” She let out a heavy sigh, barely able to suppress the smile threatening to break free.
And then, in a final act of ‘heroic’ sacrifice, Cecilia released her grip from Gigi’s hand and let herself fall, her body tumbling through the air with a dramatic gasp.
“Noooooooo!” Gigi screamed, her voice sharp with alarm as she reached out, desperate, trying to catch her before it was too late.
Cecilia, spinning in the air, couldn’t help herself—she let out a small, stifled giggle as the drama reached its peak, her body nearing the “ground” with frightening speed.
And then, with a soft thud, Cecilia landed on a pile of pillows scattered across Gigi’s bedroom floor. She blinked, still holding the dramatic pose, and slowly lifted her head to look at Gigi, who had dashed over in panic.
Cecilia’s hand dramatically rested over her chest as if she’d just been dealt a fatal blow. “It’s okay, Gigi. You’ll carry on. Live on without me,” she whispered weakly. “Take care of Swaglord One One’s deathtrap—he’s our legacy now.”
She gave a faint smile, her gaze wandering to the stuffed robot sitting nearby.
There was a heavy silence for a moment before Gigi, panting from the ‘intensity’ of the moment, finally broke into a grin and threw her hands up. “Swaglord John John’s deathtrap, Ceci! Honestly! How could you forget our son’s name?”
Cecilia rolled her eyes, still lying there dramatically. “Oh, right. Swaglord John John… my bad,” she said, giving a mock mournful sigh.
Gigi’s eyes softened, though the playful tease still lingered in her voice. She crouched beside Cecilia, her face suddenly serious. “Why did you let go? We could have made it, you know.”
Cecilia blinked up at her, her playful smile slipping as she met Gigi’s gaze. The moment felt strangely real for a second, the weight of Gigi’s concern settling over her like a blanket. “Because I knew you’d try to save me no matter what,” Cecilia replied, her voice quieter now. “You always do.”
Gigi frowned, her lips pressing into a tight line. She cupped Cecilia’s face in her hands, her eyes full of warmth and a little edge of exasperation. “You’re impossible,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “You can’t keep doing this to me.”
“I didn’t want to drag you down,” Cecilia murmured, sitting up, her teasing tone gone, replaced with something more vulnerable. “I thought I’d just be in the way. You’ve always been the strong one, Gigi.”
Gigi’s expression softened, and without missing a beat, she pulled Cecilia into her arms, her voice gentle but insistent. “You’re not a burden. Never think that. You’re the one I’d go to the ends of the world for, and that’s not going to change.”
Cecilia closed her eyes for a moment, her head resting against Gigi’s shoulder. She breathed in the familiar scent of Gigi’s hair, letting the warmth of her embrace calm her racing thoughts.
“So… no more dramatic sacrifices?” Gigi asked, her voice laced with amusement.
Cecilia grinned, leaning back to look up at her. “Only if you promise to stop making it so hard for me to act like a tragic heroine.”
“Oh, I’ll try, but no promises,” Gigi teased, her grin returning. She kissed the top of Cecilia’s head, her lips lingering for a moment, soft and warm. “Besides, you are my dramatic heroine. Don’t even try to act like you’re not.”
Cecilia raised an eyebrow, her smirk returning as she looked at Gigi. “That’s because I have the best partner for all my over-the-top performances.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Gigi said, her smile growing wider.
Cecilia’s ‘heart’ swelled in her chest as she met Gigi’s gaze. Everything about her felt like home, the softness of her touch, the teasing warmth in her voice, the way she made her feel like she could do anything—even let herself be vulnerable.
They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other. No more games. No more acts. Just the quiet understanding between them, growing stronger with every moment.
The weight of Gigi’s words—the simple, You’re not a burden—lingered in the air as Cecilia let herself relax fully into the embrace, a soft smile on her lips.