• A Blackbird's Serenade • (GxG)

"A Dove's Orchid"

Omniscient

Steam from the water accompanied its bubbles as droplets and sloshing could be heard with their every movement.

Using a soft washcloth, Journee dipped it in the water to bring back up and wring out on Tiana's shoulder from behind. She watched as the suds dissolved, leaving glistening mocha skin to remain. She then followed the action with a gentle kiss to the woman's shoulder before repeating it on her other shoulder.

In the early hours of this December morning, the two women sat in the bathtub together, with Tiana's back to Journee's front.

It'd been rather quiet between the two, much to Tiana's doing. But Journee didn't mind, she understood. She nearly had to pry Tiana from the hospital after spending a total twenty-four hours there without hardly a wink of sleep or rest.

Her father still hadn't woke, but there hadn't been any changes in his recovery. According to the doctors, nothing else had been wrong. Waking up was simply up to him at this point. Though that didn't exactly make Tiana feel any better.

She'd entered this blank state of mind, where her expression hardly exhibited emotion, and her mind went a thousand miles a minute. She couldn't keep up, and was tired of trying. She was tired of scavenging for hope, and of crying at the loss of it. She was tired of all the wondering; of the push and pulls that ached at her heart. Tired of questioning herself, and life's recent events.

Her tank was running empty, yet there had been miles to go...

"Sweetheart," Journee called softly to her once she'd finished, sneaking both arms around her waist from behind. Tiana then rested her head back on her lover's shoulder, shutting her eyes.

"Hm?..."

"I need you to eat-"

"I'm not hungry," she quickly replied.

Journee pursed her lips.

"Tee..." Her hand drew from the water to drag her fingers slowly up and down Tiana's arm. In a gentle caress. "Baby you gotta eat, it's been over a day."

A deep and quiet sigh escaped Tiana's lips as she glimpsed up at the ceiling, knowing Journee wasn't going to let it go. Though deep down, she loved the woman for not doing so, and for caring so much.

"It doesn't have to be much," Journee continued, a tenderness to her southern accent. "But please eat, Tee..."

Lifting her hand from the water as well, where it'd rested on Journee's thigh, she took the hand caressing her arm to interlace their fingers. She brought Journee's knuckles to her lips.

"Reckon I ain't got a choice, do I?"

"No ma'am you do not-" Tiana's laughter was hoarse as she cracked a bare smile, kissing Journee's hand again. "I just ain't want you fallin' asleep when we get out- I need you to hold out 'til I finish makin' you somethin."

"Okay," she responded with a nod before allowing Journee's hand to return back around her waist, caressing her skin softly underwater. "Thank you..."

Two ginger kisses planted on her shoulder said 'of course.' Then she shut her eyes again, sighing in a different way.

The main reason they were even back home as of now was because Journee insisted Tiana get some rest. They'd left late that night before and the woman had done as much as she could to ensure her lover took care of herself still. To her, Journee was the reason she hadn't completely come undone. And Tiana couldn't thank her enough.

"I'm sorry," she then admitted in a mere whisper, letting her head fall.

Confusion took Journee's expression though as her eyebrows knit. "Why- For what??"