Work Text:
Gloria has to admit that life was pretty great right now.
She got a huge promotion at work to COO of Mattel. This came with a very large salary increase, more benefits, and a big office that overlooked the city. She thought shifting from an assistant role to the second-highest-ranking executive in the company was going to make her life a living hell but honestly, it’s been smooth sailing so far (knock on wood). She still gets to draw Barbies but now it’s an integral part of her actual job. Gloria gets to conduct meetings to discuss her designs and bring in other women and young girls to get insight into what they’d like to see from the company and what makes them feel most represented. Gloria has to admit that there’s something about doing work you love and being recognized for it that makes working a 9-5 not so shitty.
Sasha is a lot nicer now too, not that she wasn’t nice to begin with but you know… teenagers. Gloria understands she’s at that age and those are some of the most confusing and frustrating years for kids. But Gloria also has to admit that she misses the little girl she used to play Barbies with and comfort when the lighting outside sounded too loud and scary.
Though over the past year, things have changed significantly. Sasha hugs her in the mornings, willingly goes shopping with her, and freely laughs at her jokes. It feels like old times but a little different. Different in a good way though. Because Sasha is growing up, she’s so young but at the same time has such a mature mind. She has so many insightful stories and points of view that, a lot of time, Gloria hasn’t thought about herself. In those moments, Gloria thinks it’s a privilege to share that time with her. Moments where Sasha trusts her mom so much that she feels comfortable enough to be her most authentic self.
There was one morning during breakfast where Sasha told her mom there was someone at school she was interested in. This was a first, Sasha never opened up about things like this so Gloria felt the need to be as calm as possible, Gloria also caught on to the constant use of the pronouns “she/her”. Trying to play it cool, once Sasha ran to get her backpack upstairs, she couldn’t help the smile that took over her face and how her heart felt twice its size. And when Gloria decides the next week to drop the truth bomb that she may have some hypothetical feelings for a girl as well, Sasha tells her that she knew her mom had a “huge lesbian crush” on said girl from the moment they picked her up in front of Mattel. Gloria spit out her coffee but didn’t argue. Sasha wore a shit eating grin as she ate her waffle and she promised not to say a word of this to said hypothetical girl.
Sasha is just so cool, and smart, and funny, and strong, and independent, and amazing. Gloria is very proud of her daughter and who she is becoming. She seriously is convinced her daughter could be the first female president if she put her mind to it. That’s actually something B-
“Whatcha thinking about?” A sleepy voice asks as the arm around her waist tightens and a face nuzzled into her side.
Like she was saying, that’s actually something Barbie would often say about Sasha. Barbie loved Sasha. Barbie also loved-
“Gloria?” Blue eyes look up at the brunette with concern.
Gloria can’t help but smile widely as she brushes the stray blonde hair away from Barbie’s face. Making the blonde’s worry melt away, she finds her home again cuddled into Gloria’s side.
“I was just thinking about Sasha. How this time last year she wouldn’t even look at me and now she voluntarily lets us hug her at drop off.” Gloria chuckles lightly as her hand lays softly on Barbie’s blanket-covered arm, unconsciously running her hand up and down.
“She’s such a sweet kid, Glor. She’s so smart and brave and amazing. She gets all those qualities from you, you know? You’ve done such a great job being her mother.” Her eyes bore into brown and Gloria has to look away as she blushes a deep shade of red.
“Well, you’ve had a huge impact on her as well!”
“Oh please! I’ve only been in the real world for a little bit over a year now, you’ve been her mom for 15!” Barbie giggles and Gloria thinks it’s the cutest thing in the world.
“Sure but you just have this effect on people! You make them want to be better.” Gloria watches Barbie as her smile widens and she might be hallucinating but she swears blue eyes flicker down slighty. But definitely not, Gloria was just hazed with sleep still probably… yeah.
It doesn’t help that they are in a pretty intimate position. Curled up in Gloria’s queen size bed, legs tangled and arms wrapped around each other.
They’ve been sharing a bed since Barbie got to the real world. Gloria was embarrassed that their guest room was still unfinished and Barbie insisted it was okay and she was just thankful to have a place to stay. Surprisingly, it was Sasha who suggested they share her mom’s bed. After Gloria shot her a look of shock and disbelief (because seriously where the fuck did that come from?!) and silence from Barbie’s end, it was the blonde who spoke up in excitement agreeing by saying it’d be just like Barbieland. Apparently, since Girls Night was every night, that meant Barbie shared many beds before with all the Barbie’s and that it was “no big deal” (Gloria tried her hardest not to dissect any of those words). And of course, Gloria couldn’t say no to that and her big, blue excited eyes. So yeah, that’s the current arrangement and the brunette can’t really say she’s mad about it.
Gloria also can’t help but admire how beautiful Barbie looks right now, and every morning really. No makeup on but still flawless, Gloria’s high school shirt Barbie insisted on wearing with matching pink pajama shorts, her blonde hair tousled on the white linen, and the morning sunlight peeking through the curtains that create a halo onto the blonde’s head. Staring at her now, Gloria feels an invisible force pulling them together when her phone buzzes loudly from the nightstand. The brunette groans and (unwillingly) lets go of Barbie to reach for the device. She grabs it and brings it over so they both can look at her screen.
“An unknown number texted me. Weird.” Gloria mumbles as she sees the preview on her home screen and Barbie moves even closer with curiosity. She opens up her phone and the smile on both their faces fall.
Unknown Contact (Maybe: Pat):
Hey, Gloria! It’s Pat, Daisy’s dad. You probably already know that by the contact name, unless you deleted my number or got a new phone but ANYWAY! I know we went out a couple of times last year and we agreed it would be better if we stayed friends but I have to say I can’t stop thinking about you. We always had so much fun together and when I see you at drop-off every day I think wow you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and you’re just a good soul. I know it’s been quite some time but if you’d like, I’d love to take you out next Friday. Let me know. :)
Gloria is rendered speechless but has a small smile on her face from the compliment and thinking about the time she did spend with Pat. It feels like a hundred years ago and in a way it was.
Barbie notices this and releases her hold on the brunette’s waist, putting some distance between them and sitting up in the bed. The blonde goes to pull her hair into a pink claw clip when she asks,
“So, are you thinking of going?” Barbie asks in her usual stereotypical Barbie tone and Gloria puts her phone down in her lap and looks over to see that blonde smiling at her.
“Barbie-” Gloria starts but the blonde beats her to it.
“You should! Go, I mean. You aren’t seeing anyone and I’ve met Pat before, he's really nice! Well, I guess you already know that but I think you’d have a really good time! You deserve it.” She nods enthusiastically before getting up from the bed and Gloria has the urge to grab her and pull her back down but she doesn’t.
“I’m gonna go make some pancakes before Sasha wakes up. Coffee with 2 sugars?” Barbie looks for confirmation and smiles again when she receives a nod.
When the door shuts softly, Gloria stares at it in confusion and then flops back down on the bed with a frustrated groan.
She and Barbie were best friends. They are best friends but they shared a bed every night. They are best friends but they cuddle at any given opportunity. They are best friends but Gloria can’t deny that she gets butterflies whenever she just sees Barbie.
The first time Gloria realized she had feelings for Barbie was 3 weeks into her move. Barbie was fixing up her hair in Gloria’s bathroom, humming that catchy Dua Lipa song (which only was available in Barbieland- super confusing), and all of a sudden the brunette felt like she couldn’t breathe, her chest felt super tight, and her skin felt like it was on fire. After ruling out an allergic reaction, a fever, and a panic attack, the realization struck Gloria like a bus. It was a shock, considering she hadn’t felt this intensely for someone ever, not even Sasha’s Dad. Plus, she never considered being with a woman before or the possibility of being bisexual. She was always a supporter of LGBTQ+ rights but she never considered being gay herself. Sure she noticed how beautiful they were and how she felt so at ease with women versus men but they were just thoughts she shoved into the back of her mind and labeled as normal things all women felt.
But here being here with Barbie, living with her, and being with her all the time, it felt so different and so good. But they were best friends and that’s just how they were going to stay, just friends. Barbie gets close but never too close and Gloria notices, takes note of it. It’s a subtle but effective friend-zoning and Gloria has to respect that. There was no world in which Barbie would ever want to be with her and Gloria has accepted it.
Down in the kitchen, Barbie happily makes her way over to the Keurig and moves to the sink to refill the water tower. As the water runs, the sound of droplets harshly beating down into the plastic container fills the kitchen and is loud enough to drown out her heart-retching sob.
The reason Barbie encourages Gloria to go with Pat was because she didn’t want to hear what she knew was coming, a confirmation of her biggest fear. Having Gloria fall in love and meet someone who would eventually kick Barbie out of her and Sasha’s life forever. It was inevitable, and she knew this, and she was Gloria’s best friend so she said it. It hurt like hell, plastering on her signature smile and pushing her to go but Barbie can admit she’s not good enough for Gloria. Knows she and Sasha deserve the best, which is not her.
Barbie has only been human for about a year and still struggles so much with what this life is about. She’s not at the human level that every normal person is at her age, and she isn’t even sure how old she’s supposed to be. Barbie doesn’t want to toss that baggage onto them, this loving family that has been so gracious and kind to her. Gloria is also her closest companion, losing her because Barbie couldn’t keep her feelings inside would be the worst thing to happen to her ever.
That’s why Barbie keeps her at arm’s length, well she tries. It’s hard when Gloria smells so good, is so nice to her, offers to brush her hair before bed, cooks really yummy food, and cuddles her to sleep but that was just what friends did. Be there for each other, hang out with each other and maybe that’s enough.
So here she was, tears running down her face as she let out a sigh that made her heart feel like it was breaking in half. Barbie doesn’t notice it’s been a couple of minutes until she sees the water overflowing over the sides and hears the sound of Sasha moving upstairs in her room. She quickly wipes the tears off her cheeks just in time to feel a pair of tiny arms quickly wrap around her waist.
“Morning, Barbie!” Sasha says as she goes to grab a glass for her orange juice.
“Morning, Sash.” Barbie does her best to say in her cheeriest voice but the teen immediately notices a difference in Barbie’s demeanor. The blonde is pointedly avoiding looking at her and she’s sort of hunched over, not her usual perky and upbeat self. Sasha was just about to comment on it when her mom walks into the kitchen, placing a kiss on her daughter’s head. Sasha doesn’t miss the way her mom and Barbie clearly ignore each other. Every other morning the women were beaming ear to ear, unable to contain their smiles as if they didn’t just sleep in the same bed the night before. Sasha all of a sudden has war flashbacks to her mom and dad pre-divorce.
“I’m gonna go grab my phone. I think I forgot it upstairs.” Barbie says hurriedly as she avoids their questioning eyes and swiftly moves up the staircase).
“Okay, what did you do?” Sasha turns to her mom and she plasters on her scariest teenage girl face.
“What?! Isn’t it a little too early for accusations?” Gloria jokes but Sasha is having none of it.
“What did you do to Barbie? She’s upset.”
“She’s not upset honey. Trust me” she says almost bitterly. Sasha has retaliation on the tip of her tongue but is thrown off when the blonde comes back down smiling at both of them like nothing could be wrong ever. Maybe Sasha was just seeing things.
“So pancakes anyone?”
On Monday morning Gloria and Babrie are standing outside the car, hugging Sasha goodbye and watching as the young girl finds her friends and makes her way into the school. The women see her off until she’s safely inside and the two are about to leave when someone calls for Gloria’s attention.
“Heya, Gloria!” Pat comes running up, a little breathless from his 2-inch jog over. Barbie rolls her eyes and leans on the car by the passenger side so she’s not really in their conversation but can still eavesdrop (of course).
“Oh hey, Pat. How are you?”
“Better now that I’ve got a moment with you.” Gloria blushes because it’s cheesy but still sweet but she also picks up on the unamused chuckle that comes from the other side of the car. “I didn’t get a response about the date! Are you still interested?”
“Oh um-“ Gloria is searching for the right words but she doesn’t even know what she wants to say. Barbie looks over when Gloria has been silent for an extended time and ends up making eye contact with Pat. He straightens up and waves over to her like he hasn’t noticed she’s been there the entire time. It’s like he’s been oblivious to the fact that she’s been dropping off Sasha with Gloria for the entire school year now. Barbie takes a deep breath before walking over to them and standing unnecessarily close to Gloria, who doesn’t seem to move away but even closer so they are bumping shoulders.
“Hi, Barbara. How are you?” He says in a friendly tone but is examining the two in front of him.
“I’m great, Pat. Hey, we’re gonna be late for work.” Barbie leans on the car and looks down at Gloria, towering over her because of their height difference. The blonde didn’t notice how close they were right now until she sees the way the brunette visibly gulped and her breathing quickened. Gloria is still speechless. “Gloria?” Barbie tries again and she seems to snap out of it.
“Right yeah, let’s go!” She nods and Barbie returns to the passenger side and gets in.
“Wait. Oh my god. I’m so stupid, Gloria! I’m so sorry I didn’t realize you guys were together.”
“What?” Gloria laughs, maybe a little too much.
“You and Barbara?”
“-are best friends and that’s it. Promise.” Gloria says and it comes out softer and sadder than she expected. She says it to Pat but it was more to herself, a little reminder of what she could never have.
“Oh. Oh! Okay so…”
“I guess… see you next Friday.” Gloria forces herself to say and smiles back at Pat before getting into the car. On the silent ride to work, Gloria has to pretend like she doesn’t feel Barbie sneaking glances at her every few seconds.
It’s the Thursday night before Gloria’s date and the two women were lounging on the couch, watching a romcom and drinking wine. Sasha’s over at her friend’s house so it’s just the two of them.
Things have actually gone back to normal ever since the text message debacle. Though they never speak of it or the Monday morning at school again, things are alright now. Well, as okay as they can be. Barbie doesn’t sleep in Gloria’s bed anymore which hurts a lot at first but drives the message home for the brunette. And Gloria stopped the constant touching and need to be close to Barbie at all times, which hurt the blonde a lot more than she thought it would but also made things very clear for Barbie. They were still friendly with each other, chatted about unimportant things, and smiled at one another, but it was not the same.
With Barbie’s deal with Mattel to never talk to reporters about her doll-to-human transformation and a job offer that gives her more than enough financial stability, she was given a huge amount of money some people would never acquire in their entire lives. Gloria was aware of this too, she was the one who helped her with the legal stuff and paperwork. They just never talked about Barbie moving out, it’s something no one ever anticipated because things were fine so why fix something that wasn’t broken?
But since their distance had been growing, Barbie was thinking a lot about moving out more often than not. It hurt to think she wouldn’t see Sasha and Gloria every day but she knew it was for the best. Things were civil between them but there’s still this underlying tension that brings light to Barbie’s anxieties, like she’s just waiting for the pot to boil over. So this way, if she moved out, that would never happen and Gloria wouldn’t have to deal with her anymore. Gloria would have the freedom to be with whoever she wanted, even if it wasn’t her and they could stay friends. So Barbie finds a nice one-bedroom apartment about an hour away from Los Angeles. She thinks the farther away the better.
“Want another glass?” Gloria asks from the opposite end of the couch, knocking Barbie out of her thoughts.
Now they were almost through their second bottle of wine and their third rom-com of the night. They’d never done this before, mainly because Sasha was around, but tonight Gloria couldn’t stand the idea of deafening silence swarming between them and decided the answer was wine.
Gloria wasn’t a lightweight, not by any means. She was a party girl in college and was in a sorority so she can handle her liquor. But right now, she was feeling a little buzzed, and Barbie on the other hand… well, she was almost out of it. Key word, almost.
“Oh! I think I’m good, thanks.” The blonde says softly as she places the glass on the table in front of them. Gloria thinks the conversation has wrapped when Barbie speaks up again.
“I’m thinking about moving out,” She says quickly, still staring at the tv but can feel the brunette’s eyes boring into her head. There’s some silence before Gloria finds her voice.
“Oh um, that’s, uh, that's great Barbie.” Gloria is finding it hard to get out her words because her stomach just dropped and it felt like someone stuck their hands right into her chest, ripping out her heart and leaving it to bleed on the floor.
“I was looking to move to San Diego. I found an apartment and I think I’m gonna apply for it.” Barbie is still staring at the tv like it’s the most interesting thing in the world, even though the credits started rolling 3 minutes ago.
“San Diego is 2 hours away.”
“It’s actually more like an hour and forty.” the blonde shrugs.
“But why?” Gloria asks and it comes out louder and more accusatory than she means to but it’s too late to take it back.
“Why what?” Barbie in a tone that matches Gloria’s and she doesn’t think she’s ever used before in her life. She finally looks over to meet fiery, angry brown eyes that match her own.
“Why are you acting like this? Why are you trying to get rid of me all of a sudden?” Gloria raises her voice.
“Excuse me?!” Barbie matches her again. Now they were just screaming at each other.
“What did I do to make you hate me? Seriously, what did I do Barbie?”
“Just drop it, Gloria." Barbie’s voice softens and she looks away again because she can’t stand this.
“Hey, just talk to me.” Gloria puts a hand on her shoulder but she shakes it away, missing the hurt that plasters over the brunette’s face.
“Why don’t you talk to Pat? Don’t you have a big date tomorrow night?” Barbie spills out bitterly and immediately regrets it.
“Is that what this is about?! You’re the one who told me to go out with him in the first place!”
Barbie’s eyes are burning but she doesn’t want to cry, not in front of Gloria.
“Forget it. You’re drunk and it’s late. I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” Barbie goes to stand but she does it a little too fast for her alcohol-filled system so she almost falls over but Gloria is there to catch her. She holds on to her wrist, planting her in place.
“You’re the one who’s drunk!” Barbie turns around and rips her arm out of the brunette's grasp.
“I may be but at least I can acknowledge when we should quit! This, whatever this is, can’t lead to anything good. It’s best to stop before someone gets hurt.”
“It’s too late, Barbie!” Gloria’s voice cracks and it feels like something inside Barbie does too.
“Just tell me what I did! What did I do to make you want to leave? To make you hate me all of a sudden? We were fine a few weeks ago! I just… I don’t understand, Barbie. You’re supposed to be my best friend and I just miss you-“ A runaway tear falls down her cheek but she doesn’t even have time to wipe it away because a pair of incredibly soft lips meet hers. Gloria is being pressed back into the couch as the blonde settles on top of her lap. It takes a minute for the shock to wear off for Gloria to realize what’s happening.
Once Gloria comes to, she kisses Barbie back and it feels like her heart is mending, soaring, and exploding all at the same time. Her arms were still limply at her side until she brings them up to Barbie's waist, sneaking her hands under her shirt to touch warm and soft skin. It all felt too good to be true. Barbie was kissing her like there was no tomorrow and Gloria enthusiastically responded, drawing the blonde closer to herself.
Gloria then moves her hands to the base of Barbie’s neck to deepen the kiss. When their tongues meet Gloria feels this electric shock run through her entire body. She was about to do it again when the taller woman abruptly pulls away and moves off Gloria’s lap. They were both heaving and breathless and blushing and Gloria was going to make a silly joke about it until Barbie looked away painfully and mumbled a quick “I’m so sorry” before running up to the guest room and softly shutting the door.
The next morning Gloria’s head is buzzing and she extremely regrets drinking that much on a work night. Her head feels like a tilt-a-whirl but she can’t shake the image of what happened between her and Barbie.
They kissed. It was great. Amazing. Until it wasn’t and Gloria was left more confused than ever. That was the best kiss she’s ever had in her life and she doesn’t know what to make of it now. The way Barbie kissed her back and softly caressed her face, it made everything so much more complicated. Gloria had so many questions swarming around in her head and she wanted answers.
Speaking of, she hears Barbie open up the guest room door and scurry down the stairs. Gloria seems to still be reeling off her liquid courage from last night because she pulls on her robe and follows behind to where she finds the blonde searching for nothing specific in the fridge. She decides it’s now or never.
“Morning.” Gloria tried to say as softly as possible, to not scare Barbie, but the blonde still jumped.
“Oh, Gloria. You scared me”
“Sorry. Um so how are you feeling… after last night?”
“I definitely drank too much, but I feel really great! Those movies were so fun to watch as well!” She said as she pulled out a carton of eggs and a frying pan.
“Yeah I agree.” Gloria studied her, “Do you uh remember anything else?”
“Hm well not really- OH! Sorry, I’ve never had that much to drink before so my mind is hazy!” Barbie turns to Gloria in shock, eyes wide and the brunette holds her breath. “But yeah, we didn’t get to watch Pride and Prejudice! Dang it! Maybe next time then.”
Gloria’s hope buries itself. Barbie doesn’t remember. She doesn't remember their fight or their kiss or her leaving. Maybe it’s for the best.
The front door slamming unnecessarily loud jostles both of them and an angry-looking Sasha marches in. Sleepover duffle over her shoulder, she tosses it to the floor before reaching her mother.
“Hi, baby! How was the-“
“You’re going out with Daisy’s dad? Again?!”
“Where did you hear that from?” Gloria quickly glanced at Barbie, thinking she mentioned it to Sasha, but found she looked equally as confused and uncomfortable.
“Oh, it was the talk of the sleepover!” Sasha says bitterly and is clearly still embarrassed over whatever went down with her friends last night. “I thought you said he was a loser?!”
“Sweetie I didn’t say that… he’s nice and he asked me out so we are going out to dinner tonight-“
“What the fuck?! Tonight?”
“Hey! Language!”
“You’re shitting me, right? Mom, how could you do this to us?” Gloria doesn’t miss Sasha glancing over at Barbie or the added ‘us’.
“Sasha watch your mouth!“
“Oh grow up, Mom! I can’t believe you. I knew you could be dense but boy, I didn’t think you were this fucking blind.” Sasha says with just the right amount of bite before picking up her duffle bag off the floor and going up to her room, slamming the door again for emphasis. Both women stand there in shock.
“I’m sure she didn’t mean any of that. She’s just, overwhelmed.” Barbie’s voice is so small, she hardly recognizes it.
“Right. Um, I’m gonna go get ready for work.” Gloria says without another glance, leaving her alone in the kitchen.
Barbie didn’t carpool with Gloria anymore either, she usually opted for the bus but today was a work-from-home day for her so she wasn’t in a rush to get ready. Instead, she made herself coffee and waited until Gloria was out the door before knocking on Sasha’s. The teen was loudly blasting Misery Business through her portable speaker but Barbie did her best to get her attention.
“Go away, Mom!” Sasha screams and somehow the music gets even louder.
“Your Mom left for work a couple of minutes ago! It’s Barbie!” Barbie tries to say as loudly as possible and thinks she wasn’t heard or is being intentionally ignored when the door stays shut. She’s about to count her losses when she hears the music turn off completely and the doorknob twist open.
Sasha doesn’t say anything but swings the door wide open and goes back to sitting on her bed. Leaning against the headboard and holding up a book that reads “The Seven Husbands of Evelyne Hugo”. Barbie was gonna have to ask her about that one later, she’s been looking for some books to add to her list.
The blonde cautiously walks over to the bed and sits on the very corner, an easy escape if Sasha decides she doesn’t actually want Babrie to be there right now.
“You don’t have to be scared. You’re not the one I’m mad at.” Sasha clears up and Barbie lets out a small sigh of relief she didn’t even know she was holding in.
“So what’s wrong? What was that about this morning?” Barbie asks cautiously still. “Does it actually bother you if your mom goes out with Pat or is it just your friends?”
“Barbie.” Sasha drops her book into her lap and blankly stares at the woman across from her.
“What?” Barbie is genuinely confused.
“Are you joking right now?”
“No? Am I missing something?”
“Barbie!”
“What!”
“You’re telling me you’re okay with Mom going out with Pat?” Sasha studies Barbie’s face as she opens her mouth and closes it again before speaking.
“That’s not up to me. Your Mom is a grown-”
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
“Sasha.” Barbie pleads for an out but Sasha just raises her eyebrows, waiting for her to continue. Barbie has to look away because all of a sudden her eyes feel super watery. This is not what she wanted to do right now. Cry in front of her best friend/crush’s daughter? Not on the to-do list today.
Barbie is about to get up to leave but Sasha scoots forwards so she’s closer to Barbie and puts her hands on top of the blonde’s. Barbie looks up to find caring, supportive brown eyes that are so similar to Gloria’s it hurts.
“You can trust me. I won’t tell, pinky promise.” Sasha offers a small smile and holds out her pinky. Barbie chuckles, hooking their pinkies together and taking a deep breath.
“No.”
“No?” Sasha looks are her bewildered.
“No, I wouldn’t like it if your mom went out with Pat. I… I wouldn’t like it if she went out with anybody, actually. I’m kind of… um… in love with her.” Barbie can’t even look at Sasha when she says it but she does when Sasha jumps up onto the bed so she standing on it, towering over Barbie.
“I KNEW IT! I FUCKING KNEW IT! YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH MOM! IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE AND-” Sasha is jumping up and down with a smile on her face but Barbie softly pulls her back down to face level.
“Sasha you promised.”
“I know! And I would never break that promise but Barbie! This is great!” Sasha is beaming until she notices Barbie is not. “Wait. Why aren’t you happy about this?”
“Sasha, we can’t,” she says and she can’t help the way her voice cracks and her eyes become watery again.
“What?! Why?”
“Your Mom doesn’t like me like that. We’re best friends. That’s it.” Sasha hears Barbie and is internally struggling with herself to not break her mom’s promise but Barbie is so defeated and sure. So she tries to subtly nudge her in the right direction.
“Barbie, come on! I see the way you guys look at each other! You HAVE to tell her!”
Barbie wonders if Sasha is lying, if Gloria really does look at her the way she looks at Gloria when she wasn’t looking. Barbie hesitates before saying what’s on the tip of her tongue but feels so emotionally drained and confused from the past few days that she might as well. Maybe confessing will bring herself some relief, Sasha did promise anyway.
“Well… we did kiss last night,” Barbie whispers, and Sasha’s eyes almost bug out of her head.
So Barbie didn’t forget they kissed and she thinks she never will. That way their lips felt against each other and the hurt plastered all over Gloria’s face as she left might be engraved in her mind for life. It was just much easier to lie to her this morning than face the truth, the consequences, of her actions.
“Oh my god! OH MY GOD! Wait but… why is she still going out tonight?”
“Because she doesn’t like me, Sash. That’s okay! Pat is a really nice guy and she’s gonna have a great time. Plus, I’m going to be moving out soon so she’ll be able to have him ov-”
“Wait, what?” Sasha sounds so hurt that it makes Barbie want to cry.
“Yeah… I’m, I’m sorry Sasha. This isn’t how I wanted to tell you but it’s for the best.” Barbie tried to deliver in her best stereotypical Barbie voice but fails.
“The best for who?! You moving out isn’t the best for anyone! Why… how… I, I just don’t want to lose you. You’re like another Mom to me.” Sasha bites the side of her lip to stop from crying but it doesn’t help. Barbie’s heart breaks as she pulls the small girl into a hug. Placing a kiss on top of her head.
“You could never lose me. I love you. You’re the daughter I never had but I love as if you were my own. Nothing could ever change that.” Barbie says and all of a sudden Sasha is reminded of the same exact words her Dad said to her when she was just 6. He said he loved her, he said she’d never lose him but she hasn’t seen him since that day. He had a new wife, new kids and cut all contact with Sasha and Gloria. She doesn’t want that to happen with Barbie, can’t have it happen.
“BUT THEN WHY LEAVE?! ”Sasha screams, flustered as pulls out of the blonde’s embrace. She pushes Barbie back when she’s removing herself and the blonde tries to grab her hand but the teen swipes it away.
“WHAT DID WE DO TO MAKE YOU WANT TO LEAVE!?” Sasha’s tears are running once more and Barbie’s heart breaks again with how similar this scene is to the one from last night with Gloria. This is the last thing Barbie wanted to do, hurt them.
Barbie is still silent as she watches the pain and hurt unfold on the face of the teen girl in front of her but this seems to make Sasha angrier.
“I TRUSTED YOU!” Anger boiled up inside Sasha and she stands on her knees and pushes Barbie’s shoulders. The blonde just takes it because it wasn't physically hurting her and because Barbie knows she deserves it. Also she knows a little about the situation with Sasha's Dad, is aware this can't be easy. It makes Barbie feel more like crap knowing how similar this must be for her.
“I THOUGHT YOU WERE DIFFERENT.” Push.
“BUT YOU’RE JUST LIKE HIM!” Push. Oh. That one hurt Barbie. Not physically but emotionally. She knows Sasha doesn’t mean it but it doesn’t make it sting any less.
“WHATEVER! FINE! LEAVE! LEAVE THEN! WE DON’T NEED YOU!” One more push this time it’s a little weaker because Sasha is so overcome with emotions that she gets up to run to the bathroom but Barbie grabs her by the wrist and brings her into a hug. It’s fought at first, Sasha wanting to escape but soon she fully turns into the blonde, accepting the embrace.
Sasha’s sobs stop and soon the only noise is coming from the air purifier she had in her room. It’s been 10 minutes of Barbie just holding Sasha and petting her hair to bring her some comfort when she finally decides to speak up. Barbie pulls away slightly so she can look at the younger girl as she speaks.
“Sash. I love you. I truly mean that. But I’m not good enough for you. Or your mom. Or anyone. So that’s why I have to go. I’m really, really-.”
“She’s in love with you, Barbie!” Sasha spits out in the spur of the moment but smacks her hand onto her mouth and Barbie is left staring at her.
“Wh… what did you just say?” Barbie feels like her heart is going to beat out of her chest in anticipation. Sasha closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, cats already out of the bag. Sorry, Mom! It’s for her own good anyway.
“Mom loves you. And no, I’m not making this up just so you won’t leave. She told me a couple of months ago. It’s real and it’s true. I want to say she fell for you when you two did that weird shining thing in the car but I think she fell the moment she spotted you in front of Mattel. She’s loved you from day one, Barbie.”
“I don’t understand. She never-”
“She was convinced you didn’t like her like that. Even though you guys slept in the same bed for over a year, shared clothes, held hands, kissed each other on the cheek I mean like come on guys, the gay signs are all there.” Sasha says with sass as she lets out a watery small chuckle.
“Oh.” the blonde looks off in deep thought.
“Yeah. I just wanted you to know.”
“Thank you for telling me, Sasha.” Barbie places a hand on the girl’s shoulder and is surprised when the teen pulls her in for another hug.
“I didn’t mean any of what I said. You’re nothing like my Dad, you’re the complete opposite. You’re everything we need.” Sasha gives her a squeeze before letting go.
Barbie is tearing up when she smiles at the girl and goes to tuck a loose strand behind Sasha’s ear.
“I know. I need you guys too.” There’s comfortable silence before Barbie decides she needs to get up and start her day. She’s about to leave when Sasha speaks up one more time.
“So… are you gonna tell her?” Sasha looks at her so hopefully, Barbie can’t bring herself to say no.
“Okay.” And simply says and Sasha tried to hide the smile that Barbie wants to engrave in her mind forever. Sasha is truly like the daughter she never had. Every smile makes her happy and every tear makes her sad. She would go to war for this little girl and Barbie knows Sasha would do the same.
Composing herself, Barbie tells her that she’s going to be working in her room if she needs anything and closes the door. As she rounds the corner, the blonde almost has a heart attack.
“I guess the secret is out, huh?” Gloria’s voice is so small Barbie doesn’t even recognize it. She still can’t even believe she’s standing here, right now.
“I thought you were at work?” Barbie is still in shock. She feels caught and overwhelmed and scared and every feeling she never had to feel once in Barbieland.
“Forgot this.” Gloria holds up her folder that contains all her Barbie designs and Barbie just nods nervously as she eyes the way the papers almost overflow out of the folder, also trying her best to avoid looking at Gloria. “And this.”
Gloria then drops the folder to the ground and pulls Barbie into a kiss. The blonde doesn’t even hesitate to kiss her back, bringing her hands to Gloria’s waist and pulling them closer together. All of a sudden the blonde goes stiff and reluctantly pulls away but keeps Gloria close.
“Gloria, you and Sasha deserve someone amazing. Someone stable and normal and deserving of you guys. I don’t want to take the space of someone who-”
Gloria kisses Barbie so passionately that she feels like she’s going to faint, she suddenly forgets everything she wanted to say.
“Have you ever considered if we are deserving of you? You are the epitome of sunshine and kindness and everything good in the world. No one is perfect Barbie, but you are for us. For me.” Gloria is resting their forehead together as she places kisses all over Barbie’s face until the blonde stubbornly brings out her award-winning smile.
“Are you sure? I’m giving you an out.” Barbie searches Gloria’s face.
“You are the best thing that’s ever been mine. You belong here. I can't imagine my life without you. I love you, Barbie,” she says so sure and confidently that Barbie can’t help but cry. Gloria wipes away her tears before going in for a kiss that suddenly turns very heated in a matter of seconds.
The brunette starts to push Barbie back until she hits the door to Gloria’s room and brings her inside. Once the door closes, she pushes Barbie onto the bed and climbs into her lap. She threads her hands into blonde waves and deepens the kiss further. They both make a noise when Gloria accidentally grinds down into the taller woman and the blonde’s hand immediately goes to her hips to continue that sensation. After a couple of minutes, Barbie pulls them apart and Gloria whimpers at the loss of contact.
“If it wasn’t obvious, I’m in love with you. I love you so much, Gloria.” Barbie is breathless and heaving and her lips are red and swollen and her hair is tousled from Gloria’s fingers running wild through them. Gloria thinks she’s never been more attracted to a person ever. She’s so beautiful it hurts and Gloria can’t believe this is her life.
“I love you too.” Gloria declares with a smile and Barbie goes back to kiss her but stops when Gloria pulls her cell phone out of her pocket and starts texting someone.
“Who are you texting?!” Barbie asks exasperated, as if they weren’t in the middle of big love confessions and addictive kisses that made her insides tingle.
“Pat,” Gloria says plainly and Barbie’s mouth drops open. “I’m telling him that the date is off because I’m romantically involved with someone super hot and kind and beautiful and sweet and amazing and talented and smart from now until… forever,” Gloria says as she finishes the texts, hits send and throws her phone across the room. She pushes a smiling Barbie down on her back and covers her face, neck, and collarbone with sweet kisses.
“Forever, huh?” Barbie jokes but gasps when Gloria bites a place right under her ear.
“You know it.” Gloria seductively whispers in her ear and Barbie thinks this is the happiest she’s ever felt in her entire life.