The cab slowed to a stop in front of Holly's apartment building just after noon, the sun peeking gently through overcast clouds. Ariel turned her head toward the window and smiled softly at the familiar sight - her own apartment, just across the street, quiet and waiting. Her eyes lifted instinctively to the second-floor window, but it sat bare. No plushie. No soft green Junimo keeping watch.

  “You’ll be back at your post soon,” Ariel thought, her heart warm. That tiny guardian would take its place again soon enough. Just not today.

  Before she could reach for the door handle, Holly was already out of the cab, rounding the back of the vehicle in a blur of denim jacket and blonde hair. She yanked the door open with exaggerated enthusiasm, breathless and smiling like a cartoon heroine. “Milady,” she said dramatically, extending a hand.

  Ariel couldn’t help it. She chuckled, her voice low and warm. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “True,” Holly said proudly, helping Ariel scoot to the edge of the seat. “But also, very helpful.”

  She paid the driver quickly while Ariel steadied herself on her feet, already more sure-footed than she'd expected to be after a week in a hospital bed. Holly darted to the trunk, grabbed their small pile of belongings: Ariel’s tote bag, a grocery sack of soft foods, and her own overnight suitcase, and slung them over one arm with surprising coordination.

  “Here, let me help you walk,” Holly said, practically bouncing in place.

  “I’m fine,” Ariel assured her, shifting her weight a bit. “I think I can manage a few feet on my own. You’ll know if I fall. I’m very loud when I land.”

  Holly gave her a playful glare but relented, still hovering like a mother hen as they approached the stairs. She bounded up the two steps to her apartment door, unlocking it with practiced speed and nudging it open with her foot. Then she turned and reached down to help Ariel the last few feet. “All right, princess. Welcome to Castle Sinclair.”

  Ariel chuckled again as she stepped over the threshold and stopped.

  She blinked, slowly taking it all in. The apartment was absolutely, unequivocally Holly.

  Plushies everywhere. On shelves, chairs, the back of the couch. There was even a fat little Totoro plush tucked next to the TV. On the couch, a neatly folded Sailor Moon fleece blanket lay across the back cushion. The air was soft and faintly sweet. There were no candles, no flickering lights. Jordan had clearly done his job with military precision.

  A tall bookcase near the window was filled with games. Mostly colorful PS4 and Switch cases. Ariel noticed the familiar art of Persona 5 Royal, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Final Fantasy X/X-2, Tales of Arise, and Stardew Valley. She smiled wider. And there, on the shelf next to the TV, was the promised Charmander plush, looking delighted to see her.

  Holly stood beside her, suddenly bashful under the scrutiny. “Sooo… what do you think?”

  Ariel turned to her, eyes sparkling with amusement. “This is exactly what I thought it was going to be.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah,” Ariel nodded slowly. “Magical girls and plushies.”

  Holly let out a whoop of laughter and grabbed Ariel in a careful side-hug. “You get me.”

  They made their way to the couch, Ariel settling in slowly with a sigh, legs up and Junimo plush tucked in beside her once again. Holly plopped down beside her, folding one leg under herself and bouncing lightly on the cushions. Ariel let her head tilt against the back of the couch, looking around.

  "I feel like your apartment is a portal to some secret anime wonderland," Ariel said, a note of real awe beneath her teasing.

  “It’s a high compliment,” Holly said with a triumphant smile. “You have no idea how long I spent organizing the JRPG shelf.”

  “I believe it,” Ariel replied, glancing toward it again. “You’re chaotic but secretly precise.”

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  Holly beamed. “My ideal branding.”

  They sat there for a while, cozy and calm. Ariel reached over and rested her hand gently on Holly’s thigh. “Thanks for getting this place ready. It’s perfect.”

  “I wanted it to feel safe,” Holly said softly. “You’re safe here, Red.”

  Ariel closed her eyes for a moment, taking a breath so deep and easy it nearly surprised her. “I know.” She opened her eyes again. “You really do take care of me.”

  “Well,” Holly said, turning toward her and tucking a piece of red hair behind her ear, “that’s kinda the gig, isn’t it?”

  Ariel snorted. “The gig?”

  “Yeah.” Holly smiled. “You’re mine. I take care of my girl.”

  Ariel’s cheeks flushed, and she gave a tiny, bashful smile. “I like the sound of that.”

  Holly reached over and gently linked their fingers together. “Good. ‘Cause you’re stuck with me now.”

  They sat like that a little longer, fingers entwined, hearts finally steady, surrounded by soft things and quiet light. Ariel listened to the faint hum of the city outside, feeling the rhythm of life settle gently around her. For the first time since the fire, she felt safe enough to close her eyes and let go, even if just for a moment.

  Eventually, Holly began to unpack their things. Ariel was stubborn, of course. Within minutes she’d tried to stand up again, reaching for her overnight bag to help unpack. But before she could take a single step, Holly whirled around from the closet, her eyes narrowed in a mock glare. In one hand, she held a small pack of industrial-strength Velcro.

  She didn’t say a word. Just held the pack up, raised an eyebrow, and gave Ariel a look that said: Don’t make me use this.

  Ariel froze mid-reach, then slowly, very deliberately, sat back down with a long, exaggerated sigh. “You’re really leaning into this Velcro threat, huh?”

  “I don’t make empty threats,” Holly said, stuffing the pack in her hoodie pocket. “You stay on that couch unless I say otherwise.”

  Ariel muttered something under her breath about “domestic tyranny” but didn’t resist, letting herself sink into the cushions, her fatigue finally catching up with her.

  Once Holly was satisfied, Ariel pulled out her phone and typed out a quick text to Jim:

  Hey! Just wanted to let you know I was discharged from the hospital this morning. Breathing’s way better. Still healing, but I’m home (well… at Holly’s place for now). Just wanted to say thank you again for everything.

  The response came within a minute:

  Ariel, that’s wonderful news. I’m really glad to hear it. Please continue taking it easy, and don’t even think about work until at least Wednesday. We’ve got everything covered. Just focus on getting better.

  Ariel smiled softly and typed a quick thank-you back before putting her phone on the end table. She let herself relax, phone face-down, the tension unwinding from her shoulders.

  Holly reappeared from the kitchen, two bottles of water in hand. “All right,” she said, plopping down next to Ariel and handing one over, “so what do you want to do today, Miss Bedrest?”

  Ariel tilted her head, eyes glancing out the window at the gray Seattle sky. “Well… I’m definitely not up for a walk, even if it’s just around the block.”

  “Yeah, no. You’re on couch patrol.”

  Ariel chuckled. “Okay. Couch patrol. What are my options?”

  Holly tapped her chin. “Let’s see… We could start a new Stardew farm together just like old times. Or we could boot up Animal Crossing and redecorate each other’s islands. I’ve also got a whole shelf of JRPGs if you want to cozy up and watch me cry over pixelated heartbreak.”

  Ariel looked thoughtful for a moment. “So… who’s your favorite JRPG protagonist?”

  Holly’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, big question. Hmm… Okay. If we’re talking raw vibes? Tidus. Hands down.”

  Ariel blinked. “Wait. Tidus?”

  “Yup.” Holly folded her arms proudly. “People make fun of him, but I love that he’s just a dork with dad issues and a heart of gold.”

  Ariel squinted. “I mean, sure, but… Joker exists. Calm, stylish, mysterious, has a talking cat. Literal leader of a resistance movement.”

  “Okay, yeah, but Joker’s all cool and broody. Tidus actually has emotional range. He laughs, he cries, he swims like a dolphin.”

  Ariel gave her a look. “You did not just call him a dolphin.”

  “He is! That boy does backflips into battle like it’s a diving competition.”

  Ariel laughed so hard her lungs nearly betrayed her. She caught her breath and grinned, eyes warm. “I guess you like your heroes goofy and emotionally available.”

  “Guilty as charged,” Holly said with a wink. “And I guess you like yours morally ambiguous and good with knives?”

  “Exactly!”

  They dissolved into laughter again, Ariel leaning gently into Holly’s side, head resting against her shoulder, fingers absently running over the soft fabric of the Junimo plush nestled in her lap. The glow from the window painted a soft line along her cheek, highlighting the peace in her expression.

  Eventually they agreed to play Animal Crossing. Holly brought over both Switches, handed Ariel hers, and loaded up her own island, which was apparently going through a “cottagecore frog village renaissance.” Ariel chuckled when she saw it.

  “Okay,” Ariel said, cheeks flushed with laughter, “you win. You officially have the coziest Switch in Seattle.”

  “Excuse me,” Holly said, mock-offended. “It's the coziest Switch in the west.”

  They played for a while, occasionally sharing snacks and laughter, Ariel’s hand never too far from Holly’s. At one point, Holly casually reached over and tapped one of Ariel’s villagers on the screen. “Is this guy your boyfriend?”

  “No, but he gives me free wallpaper,” Ariel said with a smirk. “So he’s my favorite.”

  It wasn’t flashy or exciting. But it was home. Healing. Quiet joy, shared between two hearts that had already walked through fire. Ariel, curled up on the couch with the girl who saved her, realized that maybe this slow, simple day was exactly what her body and her heart needed.