She pulled back sharply. Her chest heaved, and her shoulders shook. Her eyes glistened, but she wouldn't meet Y/n's gaze. She stared at the floor, her jaw tight, as the first tear spilled over.

Another tear slipped down her cheek, and she swore under her breath.

Her voice cracked, splintered right down the middle. Her hand came up to cover her face, and her whole body shuddered.

Rumi's legs seemed to give out. She leaned forward, her forehead dropping against Y/n's shoulder, and the tears came faster now. Years of tension, grief, and exhaustion finally cracking through the surface of a woman who had spent her whole life refusing to break.