Together | PG13 | A Prairie Home Companion
Title: Together
Prompt: sister my sister
Challenge: 100 Fic Challenge (#18)
Fandom: Rhonda/Yolanda, A Prairie Home Companion
Requested by: kitnkabootle
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 900
Disclaimer: Not mine. Wish they were. Please don't sue.
Author's Note: All right - I’m gonna warn you now…there is some sister/sister subtext here. If that sort of thing makes you squeamish, I suggest you run in the other direction now! Otherwise, enjoy! Let me know what you think!
-
Rhonda props herself up against the big mahogany headboard, feeling her hair catch in one of the ornamental wooden flowers that adorns the top. Truth be told, she never did like this bed. Too fancy. What was the point of carving flowers and cherubs into a headboard? It was dangerous is what it was-Rhonda imagines Lola in her younger years, jumping on the bed, losing her balance, and gouging out an eye on one of the damn flowers. Totally impractical.
Yolanda, on the other hand, loves decorative objects. Always has. She appreciates craftsmanship and details. That’s all fine and dandy, but Rhonda doesn’t like it. Hates it, in fact…but that may be more to do with the fact that this is Yolanda’s former marriage bed. Rhonda wanted to help her get rid of the bed when he was gone, but Yolanda had insisted that they keep it because “it was too pretty to throw away.”
Rhonda just shakes her hair loose and deals with it like she does whenever she sleeps over. The bed itself doesn’t matter anyway. She’s here for her sister, and what kind of sister would Rhonda be if she said no to Yolanda when she needed her most?
“Y’think Chuck was in pain when he…died?” Yolanda asks timidly, her voice cracking on the last word. She sniffles and curls closer into her sister’s body, resting her head in her lap.
Rhonda shakes her head before realizing that Yolanda can’t see her. She threads her fingers soothingly through Yolanda’s cornflower hair, smiling when she feels her sister relax a little against her. “No, I don’t think he felt any pain.”
“What if you’re wrong though? What if he did?”
“When am I ever wrong?”
Yolanda snorts, twists her body, and looks up with a sad smile. Her eyes are still wet with tears. “You really think so?”
“I think…” Rhonda takes a long, slow breath. “I think if he did, it didn’t last too long. He passed on quickly.”
“D’you think he’s in heaven now?”
Rhonda looks back at her sister, taken aback by how young, how childlike, she looks in that moment. She smiles and cups Yolanda’s cheek with her hand. “Absolutely.”
“I was thinkin’ that we should sing somethin’ for the funeral…you, me, and Lola. Or maybe the whole gang could do it…sorta like a reunion. Think he’d like that?”
“I know he would.”
Yolanda relaxes against Rhonda’s thigh and bites her lip. “I can’t believe the show’s over.”
Rhonda frowns and strokes her thumb lazily over Yolanda’s cheekbone. “I know,” she says. She wants to say more, wants to commiserate over how it feels like they’ve lost their whole family, but the words are too painful to speak. She can’t let her sister hear the sadness in her voice. She needs to be strong. “But we’ll find somethin’ great to move onto…just another step in life’s journey.”
“That’s right,” Yolanda agrees quietly, though her words lack conviction. She covers Rhonda’s hand with her own and turns her face into it, closing her eyes for a moment before kissing Rhonda’s palm. “At least we’ll be together.”
“That’s all we need,” Rhonda replies with a bright smile, shuddering slightly at the thought of being alone, of being without Yolanda. “Don’t you worry about a thing.” It’s important that Rhonda makes her sister understand that she will always take care of her. “Okay?”
Yolanda nods pats Rhonda’s hand before she sits up and envelopes her older sister in a tight hug. Rhonda slips her arms around the other woman’s body, breathing in the scent of her honeysuckle soap. “Thanks for stayin’ with me tonight,” Yolanda says, muffling her words against Rhonda’s neck.
“I didn’t wanna be alone either.” She pets Yolanda’s hair. Her codependent needs are not as urgent and apparent as her sister’s, but Rhonda knows that she would have never gotten through the night on her own.
When Yolanda pulls back, her eyes are renewed with tears.
“No more cryin’.” Rhonda wipes a stray tear that falls down Yolanda’s cheek. “We’ll get through it. Together.”
“Together,” Yolanda repeats, sounding more sure. She covers Rhonda’s hand once more with her own.
“Like always.” Yolanda nods. Rhonda gives a placating smile and kisses Yolanda’s forehead, her temple, her cheek, and her mouth. Her lips linger for several seconds longer than they should. Rhonda’s cheeks are hot, as they are after every kiss that they share, and she’s glad for the cover of darkness that hides the color in her cheeks. “Let’s get some sleep, huh?”
Yolanda meekly replies, “Okay.” They scoot down beneath the covers and curl into each other like flowers to the sun. Yolanda rests her head against Rhonda’s shoulder and slips her hand possessively around her waist. Rhonda begins to hum a tune while her fingers return to Yolanda’s hair, stroking the golden locks and humming until her sister falls asleep.
Rhonda kisses Yolanda’s forehead and looks up at the little wooden cherub. She can feel its beady wooden eyes staring at her, just like she can feel her mama’s eyes bearing down on her from heaven. She tucks Yolanda in closer and closes her eyes against it all, knowing that she’s done nothing wrong in taking care of her sister. In doing so, she’s taken care of herself. It’s the only thing Rhonda knows to do, and nothing about that is wrong.
---
Prompt: sister my sister
Challenge: 100 Fic Challenge (#18)
Fandom: Rhonda/Yolanda, A Prairie Home Companion
Requested by: kitnkabootle
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 900
Disclaimer: Not mine. Wish they were. Please don't sue.
Author's Note: All right - I’m gonna warn you now…there is some sister/sister subtext here. If that sort of thing makes you squeamish, I suggest you run in the other direction now! Otherwise, enjoy! Let me know what you think!
-
Rhonda props herself up against the big mahogany headboard, feeling her hair catch in one of the ornamental wooden flowers that adorns the top. Truth be told, she never did like this bed. Too fancy. What was the point of carving flowers and cherubs into a headboard? It was dangerous is what it was-Rhonda imagines Lola in her younger years, jumping on the bed, losing her balance, and gouging out an eye on one of the damn flowers. Totally impractical.
Yolanda, on the other hand, loves decorative objects. Always has. She appreciates craftsmanship and details. That’s all fine and dandy, but Rhonda doesn’t like it. Hates it, in fact…but that may be more to do with the fact that this is Yolanda’s former marriage bed. Rhonda wanted to help her get rid of the bed when he was gone, but Yolanda had insisted that they keep it because “it was too pretty to throw away.”
Rhonda just shakes her hair loose and deals with it like she does whenever she sleeps over. The bed itself doesn’t matter anyway. She’s here for her sister, and what kind of sister would Rhonda be if she said no to Yolanda when she needed her most?
“Y’think Chuck was in pain when he…died?” Yolanda asks timidly, her voice cracking on the last word. She sniffles and curls closer into her sister’s body, resting her head in her lap.
Rhonda shakes her head before realizing that Yolanda can’t see her. She threads her fingers soothingly through Yolanda’s cornflower hair, smiling when she feels her sister relax a little against her. “No, I don’t think he felt any pain.”
“What if you’re wrong though? What if he did?”
“When am I ever wrong?”
Yolanda snorts, twists her body, and looks up with a sad smile. Her eyes are still wet with tears. “You really think so?”
“I think…” Rhonda takes a long, slow breath. “I think if he did, it didn’t last too long. He passed on quickly.”
“D’you think he’s in heaven now?”
Rhonda looks back at her sister, taken aback by how young, how childlike, she looks in that moment. She smiles and cups Yolanda’s cheek with her hand. “Absolutely.”
“I was thinkin’ that we should sing somethin’ for the funeral…you, me, and Lola. Or maybe the whole gang could do it…sorta like a reunion. Think he’d like that?”
“I know he would.”
Yolanda relaxes against Rhonda’s thigh and bites her lip. “I can’t believe the show’s over.”
Rhonda frowns and strokes her thumb lazily over Yolanda’s cheekbone. “I know,” she says. She wants to say more, wants to commiserate over how it feels like they’ve lost their whole family, but the words are too painful to speak. She can’t let her sister hear the sadness in her voice. She needs to be strong. “But we’ll find somethin’ great to move onto…just another step in life’s journey.”
“That’s right,” Yolanda agrees quietly, though her words lack conviction. She covers Rhonda’s hand with her own and turns her face into it, closing her eyes for a moment before kissing Rhonda’s palm. “At least we’ll be together.”
“That’s all we need,” Rhonda replies with a bright smile, shuddering slightly at the thought of being alone, of being without Yolanda. “Don’t you worry about a thing.” It’s important that Rhonda makes her sister understand that she will always take care of her. “Okay?”
Yolanda nods pats Rhonda’s hand before she sits up and envelopes her older sister in a tight hug. Rhonda slips her arms around the other woman’s body, breathing in the scent of her honeysuckle soap. “Thanks for stayin’ with me tonight,” Yolanda says, muffling her words against Rhonda’s neck.
“I didn’t wanna be alone either.” She pets Yolanda’s hair. Her codependent needs are not as urgent and apparent as her sister’s, but Rhonda knows that she would have never gotten through the night on her own.
When Yolanda pulls back, her eyes are renewed with tears.
“No more cryin’.” Rhonda wipes a stray tear that falls down Yolanda’s cheek. “We’ll get through it. Together.”
“Together,” Yolanda repeats, sounding more sure. She covers Rhonda’s hand once more with her own.
“Like always.” Yolanda nods. Rhonda gives a placating smile and kisses Yolanda’s forehead, her temple, her cheek, and her mouth. Her lips linger for several seconds longer than they should. Rhonda’s cheeks are hot, as they are after every kiss that they share, and she’s glad for the cover of darkness that hides the color in her cheeks. “Let’s get some sleep, huh?”
Yolanda meekly replies, “Okay.” They scoot down beneath the covers and curl into each other like flowers to the sun. Yolanda rests her head against Rhonda’s shoulder and slips her hand possessively around her waist. Rhonda begins to hum a tune while her fingers return to Yolanda’s hair, stroking the golden locks and humming until her sister falls asleep.
Rhonda kisses Yolanda’s forehead and looks up at the little wooden cherub. She can feel its beady wooden eyes staring at her, just like she can feel her mama’s eyes bearing down on her from heaven. She tucks Yolanda in closer and closes her eyes against it all, knowing that she’s done nothing wrong in taking care of her sister. In doing so, she’s taken care of herself. It’s the only thing Rhonda knows to do, and nothing about that is wrong.
---