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Part 15 of Glassheart One-Shots!
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Published:
2025-07-10
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1,342
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1/1
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21
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Tears Make a Grilled Cheese a Bit Salty

Summary:

Chloe comes to the dorm after a particularly rowdy hangout with her male teammates and yells towards Red as a joke, momentarily forgetting her trauma and accidentally triggering her.

Basically that one tiktok audio that goes:
"BITCH WHAT'S FOR DINNER?!"
"grilled cheese..."
"If I ever talk to you that way again you better smack the shit outta me."

Notes:

*slowly slides into frame* heyyy...

So, I'm not dead!!!!!! I'm so sorry for completely disappearing, the ao3 curse is working overtime. I've been hit with writer's block so bad that even looking at a google doc felt like holding up the sky (Annabeth Chase core). Anyway, I was struck by really random motivation in the form of being commanded in a tiktok comment section to write this. This fic was demanded by tiktok user @emcantspell_ who replied to my comment on a tiktok by @qt.soda5 (they also write fics, check them out tehe their ao3 tag is ieatchildren727) Here’s the link to the tiktok this is based off of: https://www.tiktok.com/@qt.soda5/video/7524157910998322487

ANYWAY, I'm considering this a warm up to maybe writing more regularly again!! I'm hoping this will be the start of the return to some kind of posting schedule, but who knows. I missed glassheart so much and I want to contribute to the stories of one of my fav primary colored duos. This might not be my absolute best work, since I'm very out of practice, but I hope it's still enjoyable!!! I missed all the people in my comments too, you guys are so sweet and I hope I see more of you soon tehe.

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy!!!!! :)

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

It was a casual Wednesday evening in the dorms at Auradon Prep. Chloe had been gone at Swords and Shields practice, so Red took it upon herself to make a meal for the two of them. She wasn’t the most experienced cook, having been raised to stay far away from the kitchen, and only eat what was served to her, if anything had been served at all. However, since living together, Chloe happily volunteered to teach Red how to cook. This had started before they became girlfriends, despite the redhead’s protests, but she found it kind of satisfying to be the one to put together meals that she and her lover would share. And Chloe would always congratulate her with a kiss when she completed a meal by herself, no matter how simple. So, Red grew rather fond of cooking after a while. 

 

Since Red still wasn’t a master chef by any means, she decided that their dinner that night would be a grilled cheese and fries. It was one of the easier meals she knew how to make, and quite enjoyable. It was also a convenient meal, since they were both safe foods for Red, and a comfort food for Chloe. Red let the cheese melt between the bread as she awaited the return of her blue-haired girlfriend.

 

Chloe was extremely exhausted, but also energized by the adrenaline of practice. It had been an intense session, and her friends on the team, comprised of a lot of rowdy boys, had riled each other up. As she walked with them back to the dorms, they all joked and shoved each other, making absolute idiots of themselves. Chloe was definitely above this, but she was trying to let herself have fun for once and not be so perfect. So she joined in, laughing along to their jokes, and even making a few of her own to match their energy.

 

As she took her turn towards the dorm, drunk on the hilarity of the evening, her judgement was heavily impaired. She thought it might be funny to do one of those jokes on Red, completely forgetting about the girl’s background and why this was an absolutely horrible idea. As Chloe entered the dorm, filled with carefree energy and the buzz of sword fighting, she threw her bag on the floor carelessly, the object making a loud clash, causing Red to flinch violently across the room, unbeknownst to her.

 

“Bitch what’s for dinner?!” She shouted through the house in a deep voice, trying to make it clear that she was joking.

 

Red felt all the oxygen leave her body instantly as she turned off the stove with shaking hands. She didn’t answer, just trying to focus on breathing as she felt her knees buckle, her legs giving out on her as she slid to the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes. It was happening again. She wasn’t safe. She was being treated the way she always had been in the past. The way she deserved. She was a fool to think it would be any different here. 

 

“Red? You there?” Chloe called, a lot softer this time, but it was too late. Red had already begun to spiral, her chest rising and falling quickly as she tried desperately to breathe in the air that seemed to be eluding her. 

 

Red heard Chloe’s call and panicked. She needed to answer. Silence meant violence. That was a rhyme she’d made when she was little, after countless beatings for not responding to her mother, no matter the reason, or her condition.

 

“Grilled cheese.” Red answered, her voice coming out small and broken. 

 

Chloe froze when she heard Red’s reply. She seemed upset, no, hurt by something. She rushed into the kitchenette, finding her girlfriend on the floor, her face pale and her chest rising and falling rapidly as tears began to trail down her cheeks. “Red!” She shouted anxiously, rushing over.

 

Red instantly raised her hands to cover her face out of fear, her entire body shaking. Guilt clawed at Chloe’s chest. She had caused this. She was supposed to be the girl’s safe space and she’d just sent her straight back into a scene from her past. Now was not the time to let herself overthink about this. She needed to help Red.

 

“My heart? Can I come closer?” She asked in the softest voice she could muster. Red didn’t answer, her face still covered and her body shivering. Chloe’s heart panged at the sight. She took slow, quiet steps to avoid scaring the girl off or triggering her more, raising her arms as a show of peace.

 

Red shook harder, scooting away a tiny bit more. “Please, no. I’ll do better, I swear.” She begged, and Chloe’s heart absolutely shattered. 

 

“I’m not gonna hurt you, baby.” Chloe whispered, slowly leaning down onto the floor.

 

She reached her hand out and gently touched one of Red’s, first, just with her fingertips, which earned a flinch but no other movement. When the crimson-haired girl didn’t pull away, she slowly but surely began to intertwine their fingers. Chloe didn’t stop until she was holding one of Red’s hands, pulling it down and away from her face, the girl’s body shaking slightly less. 

 

“I’m right here. You’re safe, I’m sorry I did that. I wasn’t thinking, and I definitely didn’t mean it, Sweetheart.” Chloe used the same process with Red’s other hand, whispering words of reassurance as she did so, trying to ground the redhead and bring her back into her normal breathing. 

 

As Chloe continued to get Red back to her normal state of mind, the girl began to sob, and buried herself in the bluenette’s arms, needing to get away from the memories of the past that were flooding her mind. Chloe was safe. Chloe was always safe. She was just triggered earlier, her brain not letting her get help because it was stuck in defense mode. Some time passed, Red couldn’t tell you how long, maybe minutes, maybe hours, and she finally was able to breathe somewhat normally again. Though tears still fell from her eyes, despite her attempts to will and wipe them away. 

 

“I’m sorry.” Red muttered. 

 

“W-what? What are you sorry for?” Chloe asked.

 

“For breaking down like this, it’s stupid.” Red mumbled against Chloe’s chest. 

 

“Hey, hey, no. Absolutely not. I’m the only one who should be apologizing. I know better than anyone what you’ve gone through and how it impacted you, and yet, I didn’t think better and made that stupid joke. I’m genuinely sorry, my love.” Chloe squeezed Red’s hands as she said this. 

 

“It’s okay. I forgive you.” Red smiled up at her girl, a few stray tears still falling, but she did feel a lot better now. 

 

Chloe released one of Red’s hands and cupped her girlfriend’s face, making her look at her. “If you ever let me talk to you like that again, you better tear me a new one with that impressively snarky tongue of yours. If I ever talk to you like that. You understand me?” Chloe stated, making direct eye contact with Red, smiling as she saw the girl’s own lips quirk up in a small grin. 

 

“Yeah.” Red answered simply, feeling a lot more validated and safe.

 

“Yeah?” Chloe repeated, her smile growing bigger as she placed a gentle kiss on the girl’s forehead. Red giggled at the affection and cuddled into Chloe’s arms for a bit, before remembering what this was all about in the first place. 

 

“Dinner’s ready if you’re hungry, baby.” Red informed, pulling herself up to standing and putting the grilled cheese and fries on a plate, cringing when she saw a few of her own tears fall on the sandwich. “Sorry, I’ll make you another one. Tears make a grilled cheese a bit salty, if you didn’t know.”

 

Chloe just shook her head and leaned in, kissing the remaining tears away, earning quiet giggles and whines of protest from the crimson-haired girl.

 

“I’m sure it’ll be delicious anyway.” 

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed!!!

I really hope I get back to posting regularly soon, I miss writing and I miss the community here. Thank you for reading if you got this far, and comments and kudos are always appreciated, but never mandatory. Have a good day/night/whatever time it is for you! <33

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