Recovery Period

Chapter 21

Raina bit the inside of her lip to keep from smiling at Nico's attempt at a defiant expression. She looked a bit silly, glaring up at Raina from the floor while holding a stuffed rabbit in the shifting TV light.

"You know, I, for one, enjoyed our little cuddle. I could have snuggled you all night," Raina assured her ornery house guest.

"Well why didn't you?" Nico snapped before she could stop herself.

"Honestly? My legs fell asleep and I thought you'd feel safer in the bedroom."

"Oh."

"Would you like to cuddle out here? We can watch some TV if you want," Raina offered.

Nico's first instict was to say no, but the little voice called out for closeness. Her tongue tied itself into a knot as she thought about her options. Her brow furrowed in concentration, warring with herself to control the impulse to jump into Raina's arms.

"I'll take that silence as a 'yes'," Raina said, smiling as she scooped Nico off the floor and plopped her and Mol onto the couch. "Now stay put, I'm going to grab a few things for our slumber party."

Nico watched from her half-laying position as Raina ducked up the hall she remembered limping down earlier. Before she could think too hard about where she'd gone, Raina reappeared with a large faux fur blanket, a quilt, several pillows, and a phone charger.

"Okay, here we go!" Raina cheered, dumping the bundle onto Nico's upper body.

Nico burst into giggles as Raina pretended to lose track of her in the pile of faux fur and fluff. "Nico! Nicooooo!" Raina called, poking her fingers through the layers to tickle Nico lightly. Nico's laughter continued, much to Raina's delight.

Eventually Raina relented and Nico's popped out of the blanket pile with a broad grin plastered across her face. Raina laughed and bent at the waist to be nose-to-nose with Nico, "Well thank goodness! I was looking for you everywhere. Now, I need to check your foot and then we can find something to watch on TV."

Nico frowned and pulled her injured leg in closer to her body. "No it's fine," Nico assured her, shaking her head.

"Honey it's not fine. It's bleeding through the bandage, I need to make sure you didn't pop your stitches running away from me earlier."

Nico's frown deepened and she shook her head more quickly. "No no no no," she muttered.

"It wasn't a question, Nico," Raina said, sitting down on the ottoman and pulling Nico out of the blankets. Nico emitted a shriek when she hit the bare couch, arching her back and pulling at the blankets to hide again.

"Oh Nico," Raina sighed with an eyeroll. "Just come here." She plucked the squawling girl off the couch and laid her on the ottoman, pressing a hand down into Nico's chest to still her. "Nico you need to calm down," Raina said loudly over Nico's noise.

Nico squirmed under Raina's hand, whining with the effort. "No no no!"

"The sooner you stop the sooner you get cuddled!"

This seemed to break through the tantrum and Nico settled enough to choke out a few jumbled words, all of which were difficult to discern. Something about "foot" and "hurt" and "touch it".

"I won't hurt you, Nico. I need to make sure you didn't hurt you," Raina replied, still applying steady pressure to Nico's upper body with one hand. "Can I please take a look? After that you can pick any movie or show you want to watch and we'll get all cozy on the couch."

Nico didn't see many options, but her attempts to free herself were ultimately going to be pointless. Raina would make her hold still if she had to and Nico didn't really want to figure out how that would go.

"Promise you won't hurt it?" Nico asked, unable to keep her voice from shaking.

"I absolutely do."

Nico let her head fall back against the ottoman and sighed. "Fine."

"Such a good girl," Raina purred. She realized what she'd said too late and paused to hazard a glance at Nico's face to see her reaction. Big Nico didn't seem to like being called that and Raina honestly wasn't sure what headspace Nico was in.

Nico was bright. red.

Raina bit at her lip to fight a smile, relieved that her misstep hadn't pushed Nico too far.

And while Nico's only response was to blush furiously, her insides were on fire. Her thoughts were racing, the voices were shouting, and her impulse was to flip Raina off. She knew silent compliance was a much better idea.

While Nico reeled, Raina continued with her task. She mindlessly took a seat on the couch at Nico's feet and made quick work of unwrapping her foot, all while allowing herself about 60 seconds of fantasy. It all played out in her mind, a million moments in the span of seconds: Nico asleep in adorable cartoon pajamas in her bed, Nico covered in pasta sauce in a high chair in the kitchen, Nico picking dandelions in the backyard to show her.

Raina wanted those happy memories with Nico. She had so few with her previous partners, mostly users and liars who tainted any happiness they'd shared. She wanted something real.

Nico, however, wanted to flee. The brat was furious and she could feel her raw skin exposed to open air as Raina finished unwrapping her foot. She didn't dare look at it, or at anything. She shut her eyes tight and grit her teeth.

Her foot, in all honesty, wasn't too bad. She had definitely popped a stitch, but the cut itself hadn't opened up too much. "Okay, Nico. It doesn't look bad at all. Let me get some fresh bandages to wrap it up and then we'll find something on TV, okay?" Raina said cheerfully, standing up from the couch.

Nico sat up on her elbows and looked down, "Oh really?" The gnarly gash on the top of her foot made her stomach roll and she groaned, closing her eyes quickly.

"Wooah, easy there," Raina said as she watched the color leave Nico's face. She reached over and pushed Nico back down onto the ottoman with a hand on her chest. "Just stay put, alright? Don't look at it, I don't want to clean your partially-digested pizza up off the floor."

Raina went down the hall and into the bathroom, gathering her robust first aid kit, while Nico lay on the ottoman, staring up at the ceiling. The voices were back and loud, urging Nico in a dozen different directions. The little was predictable, wanting to forgo all the remaining pretences and just be with Raina. The brat was raging at needing anyone at all. And Nico was struggling to stay present with herself, anxious about her foot and what was to come after. She hadn't cuddled with Raina outside of headspace and she wasn't sure she'd be able to help slipping if they got close again. It was all...a lot.

By the time Raina was back in the living room again, Nico was nearly in tears. "Hey, hey, what's going on? Why are you so upset?" she asked worriedly.

Don't you dare say anything, the brat hissed, tying Nico's tongue. Mama wants to know! the little insisted. Mama fucking LEFT, the brat raged. This broke Nico's silence and a wracking sob escaped, startling her. She clamped a hand over her mouth and shut her eyes tight against the tears.

"Oh, Nico," Raina said, reaching to bring Nico into her arms for the upteenth time. Instead of a desperate cuddle, as expected, she was greeted with Nico's rigid body.

"No."