Work Text:
Nana always dreaded visiting her parents' house for holidays. She made every effort to spend them with friends to avoid sitting at the long table with her accomplished siblings, which only made her feel pathetic.
Questions like, "When will you get a real job?" or comparisons to her siblings had shattered her self-esteem for years, leading her to build emotional walls she had only recently begun to let down with her friends.
Despite her desire to avoid her parents, they had personally invited her to visit alongside her siblings. At the end of the day, they were still family, albeit critical ones.
Nevertheless, her parents and siblings looked down on her throughout the entire evening. She could only laugh awkwardly and pretend to be alright, hoping for the night to end, until it finally did.
Feeling regretful as always, Nana boarded the metro home after the disastrous visit. All she wanted was to sleep, setting an alarm to ensure she didn't miss her stop. She put on her earphones, starting a shared playlist, smiling as an obscure song played and she drifted off.
The alarm woke her, and she sighed as she packed her earphones away. Holding onto a pole as the metro neared her stop, she stepped off, walking quietly until a huge smile lit up her face. How could she forget? Despite her family's treatment, she had her real family waiting for her with open arms.
She ran despite the stinging in her heels; her family was waiting. He was waiting.
"Welcome home, Nana," Zane said as she jumped into his arms, feeling his warmth. Her real family—the one who understood and loved her unconditionally.
"I'm glad to be home, Zane. I missed you."
"I missed you too."