It's Just Casual

Chapter 12

It was incredibly cold in the room. Regina had insisted on keeping the window ajar, but it was almost March and I was actually freezing without anything to cover my body with.

Regina had fallen asleep very quickly and I looked at the Queen sized bed. I could easily fit beside her and as I felt my trembling hands and shivering body, I decided I deserved that.

I got up from my chair with stiff legs and walked over to the bed. It felt far too intimate to just join Regina, while wearing nothing but an oversized shirt and my underwear, but I craved the warmth of the duvet. I looked around and my eye caught the night light on the nightstand beside me. I pulled the chord from the wall outlet and looked once more at Regina and the bed.

Her arm were spread out on my side of the bed, so I grabbed a pillow and carefully pushed them back. She kept on sleeping, of course, with that excessive amount of sleeping pills.

I placed the lamp between us and grabbed some magazines that were lying on the coffee table. That way, we'd first have to go through these inanimate objects, before we could accidentally touch one another. I deemed it the most perfect solution to this all and crawled underneath the warm duvet.

It didn't take long before I finally felt myself doze off, yet it only felt like I'd closed my eyes for a second, before I woke up to Regina screaming at me.

"What the hell are you and this lamp and these cheap magazines doing here?" she asked, frantically. I wasn't yet ready for this. Sunlight peeked through the curtains into the room and I felt my eyes close again. "Swan?!"

"I was cold," I softly muttered. "And I didn't want you to accidentally touch me in my sleep, so I blocked it."

"What on earth possessed you to think sleeping with a lamp in bed was a good idea?"

"Don't worry, I unplugged it," I said and yawned. My back was turned to Regina and I pulled up the duvet higher. I didn't see how this all was a problem, but Regina was livid.

"You are by far the most insane, childish woman I have ever met," she said loudly and I shrugged. I hadn't really realized before, but Regina was an incredible drama queen. Nothing had happened and I'd slept perfectly fine. She could've just been glad she hadn't found my frozen body in the chair this morning, which certainly would've happened had I not gotten into bed with her.

"I don't see what the big deal is," I said and I heard Regina scoff.

"I could've injured myself."

"With that amount of sleeping pills, you never would've noticed," I deadpanned and turned my face to Regina, though I kept my eyes closed. I was afraid of her reaction and when she didn't say anything, I slowly opened my eyes.

"Would you stop with the constant nagging about my sleeping pills?" Regina asked softly and grabbed the lamp from the bed. She walked to my nightstand to put it down. "I can tolerate most of your annoying quirks, but this I really can't handle."

"Then just tell my why so many," I said. I didn't even know why it interested me, but it did. It wasn't like I was concerned about her, yet there was something inside of me that just wanted her to be okay. Though I'd never, ever, ever admit that out loud.

"It's none of your business."

"It's unhealthy."

"Why do you care?"

"Because I don't want to get used to yet another boss in two weeks."

"You won't have to. I can take care of myself, dear," Regina said and looked at me. Her eyes peered right into mine and I knew better than to continue asking. I didn't want to bother her. Well, actually I did, but maybe not like this.