No Confessions

Ch23

Too bad Lucy was terrible at staying awake. No matter how hard she tried, Lucy would always clock out prematurely.
    Mina had laid herself down and Lucy had eagerly set her head on her bosom. Mina knew it was nothing sexual; Lucy simply found comfort in hearing another persons heartbeat. It reminded her that the person was there and alive. Mina knew about how many people Lucy had lost, so she didn't mind dealing with Lucy's odd ways of coping. Oftentimes, it involved her, going out, or copious amounts of affection.
    Lucy often cuddled up to Mina when they slept together. Mina didn't usually notice as she usually fell asleep before her 'friend'. However, Mina, the few times she came awake before Lucy, often woke up with Lucy's arms around her or woke up stuck in her embrace. She didn't mind though. Mina would simply take a breath to revel in Lucy's scent and fall back asleep. Somehow, Lucy always smelled like peaches. No matter rain, wind, or shine, Lucy would still smell like the ripest of peaches.
It was becoming Mina's favourite fruit.
    Lucy on the other hand, often woke up embarrassed of her actions. She would always peel her arms away from Mina in her best attempts not to wake her. Often, she was unaware that Mina had already been awake or was currently and was just putting up a farce.
    Lucy stirred. Fearing she had woken her, Mina stroked her hair and hushed the other girl. "It's okay, Luce. I'm sorry for disturbing you."
    "Mm, Mina..." Lucy half groaned, half mumbled. It was then that Mina realized she was still sleeping and her words were simply her sleep talking. "You're my favorite person in all the world..."
Mina hummed affectionately. "And you are mine. More than you know, my dear." Mina whispered. She knew Lucy couldn't hear her and she was grateful.
"I love you, Mina." Lucy mumbled in her sleep. "I'm sorry...for rejecting your kisses. I'm sorry for never kissing you. Please know, I wanted to...I always want to..."
Mina laughed lightly at Lucy's confession, still careful not to wake her. Even in all her years of dealing with Lucy's sleep talking and other antics, Mina had never had such clear sentences from the sleeping blond. "I know, Luce."
"Mina?" Lucy croaked. "I think..." she mumbled some words before becoming clear and then mumbling again. "I think...girls...homosexual...Mary Ann...sorry."
"Don't apologize, Luce." Mina shushed. "I'm going to ask you some questions, Luce. Just yes or no questions. Is that okay?" Lucy hummed and nodded slightly. "Do you think you may be a...what is it...homosexual?" Lucy nodded in her sleep. "Mary Ann?" Another sleepy, unconscious nod. "Okay...this is a harder question. Are you up to it?"
"Mhmm." Lucy hummed, hugging her arms around Mina.
"What did you say about girls?" Mina asked in a soft tone. "Take your time, my dear."
    Lucy hugged her tighter in her sleep. "Girls?" Lucy hummed, nuzzling her face into the crook of Mina's neck, freezing Mina completely. "They're really pretty...especially you...you're the prettiest girl of them all..."
    Mina smiled at her words. "Thank you, Lucy. However, I think you'll find I'm not as pretty as you think–"
    "Fibber." Lucy interrupted. Her voice was clear as day, scaring Mina into thinking Lucy had been awake the entire time. "You are the prettiest girl."
    "Not as pretty as you." Mina whispered. "Not as...confident as you. Nor as charming."
    Lucy hummed, shifting again to bury her face impossibly farther into Mina's shoulder. Lucy sighed in her sleep, stretching her arms out and giving a small whimper at the action. "I think...no, I'm sure... that I'm in love with Mina." Lucy groaned. "Don't tell anyone though...I would simply die if Mina found out..."
Mina took a moment to compose herself. Perhaps it was just nonsense.
    Lucy moved her head away from Mina's neck and rested it back on her chest. Her usual sunny ripples splayed across the sheets in perfect swirls. Her breathing was ever slightly faster, but Mina dismissed it as her imagination. "But smarter, kinder, warmer, funnier...everything. You're so beautiful, so sweet, so caring, so...everything."
    "Don't say that." Mina told her. "Why am I even talking to you? You're asleep and–"
    Lucy sat up, clearly awake. "You're just a victim of falling for my charms I suppose. You always were quite clumsy." Lucy teased, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
    "How–how much did you–"
    "Did I hear? Not much. I came from my dreams when I moved my head back to your chest." Lucy said nonchalantly. "It was nice to hear your heartbeat at a slower rate. Usually it's quick beats and you're either stressed, nervous or panicking. It was a pleasant change."
    "Go back to sleep, Luce."
    "What about you? You need to sleep too!" Lucy protested. "Have you been up this entire time?" Mina nodded. "Mina!"
    "Oh Lucy," Mina laughed. "You mustn't worry about me. I'll just end up sleeping through the morning. I'm no early bird like you."
    Lucy put her hands up in defeat. "Right, fine. You're so mean."
    Mina only smiled sympathetically. She held out her arms and Lucy immediately snuggled herself into them. "Cuddle bug." Mina whispered into blond locks.
    "Very much so." Lucy whispered back. "Good night, Mina." And with that, Lucy had fallen back asleep.
A quiet pattern of knocks was heard downstairs and Mina cocked her head. "Luce? Do you expect to have company?"
    Lucy hummed. "No, not for me. It's a friend, moreover. We're not getting robbed." she laughed.
    "Who's visiting at this hour? And if not for you then who are they here for?" Mina asked, almost panicked.
    Lucy ran her fingertips over the knuckles of Mina's hand. "Her name is Alis or some sort. She comes to see Catherine every so often. There is nothing to fret, Mina." Mina sighed, trusting Lucy. "Besides, I'm glad Catherine has friends. She may work as a maid, but she's a person too."
    Mina hummed in agreement before finally relaxing. She, to, was glad Catherine had someone.
A while passed before Lucy's normal sleep antics pattern started up again. Lucy started stirring, groaning and whimpering as she stretched. Lucy sat up, eyes closed, still asleep. Mina sat up with her, putting her arms on her shoulders.
"Where do you think you're going, love?" Mina whispered to Lucy playfully. "I won't let you wander off again. Not like last night. Lay back down. Come on..." Mina whispered as she laid Lucy back down. Lucy rolled over, then rolled over again, to face Mina. She couldn't help but admire Lucy's features. Her warm skin, even in the darkness of the night. Her yellow curls, splashing out like a tangled halo. Her lips, so soft, even if she couldn't feel them. The way her nightgown fell around her, just covering all that it needed to.
Mina's thoughts went around to the silliest of places.
"Dearest Lucy," she might say, "I hold you more dear than anything else in the world."
'Could you ever love a woman like me?'
Could she ever love a woman? Any woman?
If she could love any woman then surely she could love, would love, a woman like Mina Murray. She, who loved Lucy so fiercely it frightened her too deeply to ever tell her.
Mina enjoyed the soft breaths coming from Lucy's mouth and smiled lovingly at the woman in her arms. She placed a soft kiss on Lucy's forehead and whispered goodnight. And maybe, or certainly, Mina whispered the softest profession of her love; unheard by the golden girl, but it was said.