Recovery Period

Chapter 33

"Do you want more chocolate milk?" Raina asked as she draped her arms around Nico's waist. She felt more than saw Nico shake her head and she hummed in acknowledgement. "How about another movie, then?"

"Can...can you help me pee first?" Nico muttered, blushing furiously.

Raina chuckled and nodded, "Of course, honey." She stood up, shifted Nico to her hip, and walked down the hall to the bathroom with ease. She set Nico down near the toilet and glanced at the shower. "Mmm, at some point we need to figure out a bath or something for you," she murmured, mostly to herself.

Nico bristled, but didn't look at Raina directly in hopes that she wouldn't see her reaction. She didn't really want to be naked for that long, at least not yet. She knew that Raina had helped her change the night before, but that took seconds. A bath would be a while.

"We'll deal with it tomorrow, okay? Do you want to put on some clean clothes before we settle in for the night?" Raina asked.

Nico nodded and watched Raina disappear around the door. She looked down at her foot and wiggled it a little, frowning at how strange it felt. She hadn't even thought about not being able to get it wet, but she supposed it made sense.

Raina reappeared with another t-shirt and a clean pair of boxers, setting them behind Nico on the toilet tank. "There you go, cutie. Just let me know when you're done and try not to get stuck in your pants this time," she teased, pecking Nico's forehead with a kiss as she exited the bathroom.

Nico sighed, used the bathroom, and then took a seat on the floor to change her clothes. It was easier this time, changing from shorts to boxers, but she still had to wriggle on the floor to pull them up to her hips. She sat up again, straightened her rumpled shirt, and looked at the door knob above her head. She wanted to stand up and hop into the living room, but she knew she'd get in trouble.

So, instead, she sighed and scooted over to the door, poking her head out into the hall. "Hi, I'm done," she called, probably quieter than she should have. But Raina heard her and came down on the hall quickly.

"Great! Let's go watch a movie," she said, plucking Nico off the floor. She also scooped up Nico's dirty clothes and tossed them near her bag as they entered the living room again. Raina deposited her onto the couch next to the pile of blankets she'd assembled while Nico changed and plopped down on Nico's other side. "Any requests?" She asked Nico, offering her the remote.

Nico took the remote and looked at the TV, navigating through various streaming services while Raina messed with her phone. After a few minutes, she settled on A Goofy Movie and Raina looked up and nodded her approval.

She set her phone down and pulled Nico close. She reached across Nico to grab a blanket for herself and covered Nico with her green one, cuddling the smaller girl closer. Just as she was getting settled, she remembered some things she left in her bedroom that Nico might be wanting. "Hang on just a second, munchkin," she said, rising from the couch and dashing down the hall.

Raina grabbed Mol from the middle of her bed and the pacifier she'd tucked into the nightstand earlier, tucking the latter into her pocket. She had a feeling little Nico would be here any minute and she wanted to be prepared. She was back with Nico before the end of the first song and handed Mol over.

"Thanks," Nico chirped at Raina, snuggling into her as soon as she was sat down on the couch.

"You're very welcome," Raina replied with a kiss to Nico's temple.

Nico pulled Mol up to her face and inhaled him, enjoying the mix of scents between him and Raina. It was even more comforting than usual. She was able to focus on the movie somewhat, but she had to admit that she was tired in spite of her afternoon nap.

It wasn't long before Raina was noticing her yawns and she sat up a bit to pull the ottoman towards them. "Why don't we lay down and watch the rest, hm?"

Too tired to argue, Nico nodded and let Raina maneuver her into a laying position on the ottoman, while Raina laid behind her on the couch. Raina got herself settled and then pulled Nico back against her, draping an arm over her body while she laid her head on a nearby pillow.

Nico curled up a little bit, snuggling back into Raina's arms. She yawned again, pulled her blanket up over her shoulder, and let her eyes drift closed while Raina ran her hand through her hair.

Raina watched the rest of the movie while Nico snored quietly in front of her. She lifted her hand from where it had been resting on Nico's hip when the girl turned over in her sleep and curled into Raina's chest, thumb firmly planted between her lips. She reached into her pocket and fished out the pacifier, gently removing Nico's hand from her mouth and replacing it before it could be missed.

Nico grumbled a bit, but stayed asleep against Raina.

The movie ended a short while later and Raina turned the TV off, plunging the room into darkness. Despite being somewhat trapped against the back of the couch by Nico's proximity, Raina found herself comfortable enough to fall asleep within a few minutes. She closed her eyes, held Nico close, and let herself drift off.

Nico woke up some time in the early morning, judging by the dim light coming in through the windows. She yawned and opened her eyes slowly, only vaguely aware of the pacifier in her mouth. She blushed when she saw that she was effectively eye-level with Raina's chest and she wondered how long she'd been asleep like that. There was a small part of her that wanted to pull back and make some space, but a larger part was reveling in the closeness.

In the end, she decided to stay put and she gave Mol a hug as she yawned again. She felt small here, all cuddled up with Raina with her paci and blanket and Mol. She did wish she could reach the remote to put on TV, but snuggles were also good. She definitely didn't want to wake Raina up.

She stroked Mol's ear as she laid in Raina's arms, breathing her in and listening to her heart beat. She glanced up and made sure Raina was still sleeping, then inched closer to rest her head on Raina's breast. The sound of her heart was much clearer here and, if Nico had to be honest, it was soft to lay on. She had just gotten comfortable when she felt Raina run a hand through her hair.

"Hi, little one. Are you alright?" Raina whispered as she looked down at Nico.

Nico's eyes shifted from Raina's chest to her face and the smile she saw there made her feel warm and gooey inside. Little Nico was at the forefront this morning and she grinned up at Raina from behind her pacifier.

Raina grinned right back and pulled Nico closer with an arm around her waist. She slipped her other arm under Nico's head and closed all the space between them with a light hug, which Nico snuggled into happily. She placed a kiss on the top of Nico's head and beamed when Nico cooed with pleasure. Early morning snuggles were so sweet, she'd forgotten how much she loved them.

"Are you awake for the day or do you want to sleep some more?" Raina asked with her cheek resting on the top of Nico's head.

Nico shrugged and yawned again, throwing a leg over Raina's hip to snuggle even closer.

Raina laughed and gave Nico another little squeeze. "Well hello there," she chuckled, raking a hand through Nico's hair. "Do you want to snuggle for a little while before we get up?" She asked.

Nico nodded and closed her eyes, letting herself take it all in. She hadn't cuddled with someone like this in years. She knew she'd missed it, but thank god she'd forgotten how much. This was heaven. She drew in a long breath and sighed happily into Raina's chest.

Raina smiled and rested her chin on the top of Nico's head, happy that Nico seemed happy.