Chapter Text
Crack!
Ena lurched forward from her rigid position on the couch, eyes wide and breathing abnormally quick. Thunder boomed in the atmosphere overhead, angry clouds thrashing together as bright, white-hot lightning blinded the sky for mere moments. The sound was loud—overwhelming to Ena's own senses. She rubbed her eyes hurriedly, sleep long gone from her soot-like pupils, whimpering involuntarily into the empty room. She leaned her body forward to get a better look out the window, timid like a cat with its back arched towards a threat.
The rain was heavy, casing the window in a thin sheet of vermilion blood. Despite Ena's frequency around The Hub and its neighboring islands, she'd never seen a thunderstorm quite like this. The most they got was occasional sparse rainfall, but it was usually just overly warm with a rare chance of heat lightning.
Another hollow, echoing sound rang through the house making Ena jump, instinctively clutching the nearest decorative pillow to her torso. What was wrong with her? It was just some thunder. Surely she dealt with bigger calamities, no?
Coral.
Was Coral doing okay during this sudden storm? She's probably fine, she rationalized to herself quickly. Ena was overreacting anyway. It was just noise. So.. why was she still so scared? Her vision was darting around the room, uneasiness settling in her lack of gut. She felt it then; longing. She didn't wish to be alone. Another flash of lightning broke through the living room window as Ena clenched the pillow hard, almost tearing through the fabric with her claws while she buried her face into it. She shook when the thunder rolled in again, more intense than the last few times.
The din bothered her, deeply. Reminded her. All she could recall was gunshots, empty shells dripping from the skies.. and blood. So much blood. She didn't understand why her psyche forced those crude images upon herself. She barely even knew if what she experienced was real. Looking back at the window again was a mistake. Blood. Blood. Blood. She swallowed thickly, her mouth feeling overly parched. Even her saliva oozed like a bullet wound. Quickly rising onto unsteady feet, she tried to dispute the paralysis freezing over the cogs in her brain.
Out. She needed out. To stop remembering, or pretending, or something! Eyes—now slightly wet—darted around Coral's home once more, noticing steps in the corner leading upwards. Stairs. She remembered where the stairs led. Coral Glasses would be in her room.
Still holding the pillow, she anxiously made her way over to the stairs, tinnitus buzzing in her ears. Each step felt intimidating, somehow, as if every hurried tread was a rule Ena was breaking. She cursed herself for acting so childish.
Arriving to the top of the stairs led to a small carpeted hallway, one door stationed at the end with a small loft to the right of it. Ena wanted to admire the decorations and furniture Coral had nestled into the compact space, but her heartbeat was quickening by the second, worried her lack of action might seal her fate. What was she even running from?
Reaching Coral's door in a blur, she raised a red fist to knock on the wood before hesitating just centimeters away from it. This was stupid. She was stupid. It was just noise. Just rain. What if Coral found her silly? Nearly crying from thunder? Her hand lowered until it struck again, causing her to recoil and hit her shoulder against Coral's door rather loudly. Ena sucked in a breath, fearfully backing away from the frame.
Coral Glasses's eye sluggishly peeled open, hearing her door shake rather harshly against its hinges. She pushed herself up with her elbows, looking at the bottom of her door and noticing a pair of mismatched feet blocking the soft yellow glow of the hallway nightlight. "E-Ena..?" She called out faintly, sitting up and lazily putting on her glasses.
Ena froze when she heard her name, practically about to run away and pretend like it never happened. She shut her triangular eyes and willed herself to be brave, red mitten on the cool metal handle, slowly pressing it open. Only her head peered in from the doorway, looking dithery and.. was she crying? Coral frowned, rubbing the repose from her eye and turning on her bedside lamp. "E-Ena are you okay..? What's wrong?" She took a glance at her alarm clock, reading '4:42am'. "It's early."
Stupid stupid stupid. Ena berated herself, fidgeting with the lock on the door while her other arm still held that stupid little pillow. The light source did help to calm her nerves though, just a little bit. "I-I—well.. you see.." She stared down at the floor like a guilty child, unable to help her tears now. Where the hell were these coming from? Nothing was wrong, get your head screwed back on tight!
Lightning licked up the floor in front of the closed curtain for a quick instant, a considerate rumble forming in the distance, making Ena twitch and nervously turn her gaze towards it. Coral curiously followed her stare, body starting to relax from being abruptly woken up. "It's getting pretty loud, isn't it..? Gah, I should have closed the curtains downstairs.. I'm sorry, Ena."
"No no no! I-I assure you it was satisfactory—I just.." Could she stop stuttering?! This was getting annoying. "Coral I.." She exhaled heavily, dragging her view up to Coral's eye, muttering so, so softly. "I don't wish to be alone."
The quiet confession made Coral's cheeks heat up, and also a very large fondness for the salesperson weigh in on her heart. "Y-you don't have to be alone, Ena. D-do.. do you w-want to sleep with me?"
Ena wiped her face, fear and self-loathing taking a backseat in her brain. "You.. wouldn't mind..?" Coral shook her head, scooting to the right side of the bed and peeling back the blankets. "My bed is large enough for two," she said quietly. Ena gave a hum of acknowledgement, closing the door as she tentatively walked over to the left side of the bed and got into it, looking a little awkward at first. She laid her head down on Coral's white pillow, slowly pushing the one she had in her arms off to the side. It smelled like her.
Coral turned off the lamp and took her glasses off once again, a yawn escaping her. Coral was used to frequent, sudden sounds, they became apart of her daily routine at one point. She guessed maybe the thunder reminded Ena of something.. she seemed shameful about it. She settled back into the bed and glanced at Ena, who still looked a little blundered and stiff. Similar to a fresh set of building toys that had yet to be unpacked. "You know you can actually relax, right?"
A small huff of air came from the salesperson. "I am most relaxed." Somehow, Coral doubted that, but decided not to press further on. She pulled the blankets up over her chest, trying to ignore the fact that Ena was actually sleeping in her bed. A particularly loud crash came through the skies, one that made Ena flinch, hard. Coral frowned, yearning to help soothe the poor girl. Ena noticed Coral's stare as she looked over to meet her eyes, chuckling nervously. "S-sorry, my performance usually is not so tomato-worthy."
"You have nothing to apologize for.. I just wish I could ease this for you." Sitting up again she glanced around her blurry room, remembering her box fan tucked away in the corner. She'd regularly sleep with it on to avoid the deafening silence, but the rain happened to provide plenty of white noise. Maybe it would help cover some of the sound though..
She pushed the blankets back and stood up, walking over to the fan and twisting the knob to its highest setting. It spun to life and droned mildly, making Ena to slowly sink into the mattress. That sounded.. nice. Distracting, even. Coral smiled at Ena when she seemed to settle just a little bit, crawling back into bed. "Better..?"
She nodded. It gave her something to focus on other than bracing for the next incoming sound. When it came, it certainly wasn't as loud with the background noise now, but still jarring, making her twitch. She frowned to herself, feeling like a disruption to Coral's own rest. A bother. A burden. G0D she was so stupid—
Coral rubbed the edge of the blanket between her thumb and pointer finger, inching her body closer to Ena. "..come here," she whispered. Ena turned her head, face flushing from the proximity. Come here? What was she trying to do? Rubbing her ankles together, she slowly scooted over, their bodies now almost touching. She briefly mused about those genius germs.
Coral raised her arm, hesitating. Would Ena even like being touched? Should she ask first? What if she made her uncomfortable? Starting to sweat, her arm hung awkwardly in the air. Maybe if she went slow? Yeah. Give Ena time to prepare or back out. Swallowing her delay, she moved her arm over Ena's torso and pulled her right up close, chests touching one another. Ena's mental processors lagged behind, Coral swore she could've seen a buffering indicator in her eyes.
Ena didn't move, only out of fear she'd somehow disturb Coral. Coral, however, assumed Ena was unpleasantly surprised. She quickly pulled back, opening her mouth to babble apologies before Ena's claws grabbed at her arm. They didn't hurt her—just lightly poked at the skin before laying it back on top of her. Ena grabbed the rim of her hat and pulled it down over her eyes, mumbling softly. "I-I didn't.. mind.. just don't want to.. disturb you.." Coral's arm relaxed, Ena's words giving her a minor confidence boost. She traced circles into the flat expanse of her back, smiling softly at her abashment. "Runas, are you really that embarrassed?"
Ena quickly lifted her chin, taking off her hat and stuffing it in Coral's big dumb face. "Shut up!!" Coral gave a muffled laugh through the fabric and leaned back, grabbing the hat from her. Ena's face looked like a cross between an angry cat and a Spanish Dancer sea slug. It was adorable. Ena's eyes widened as she quickly snatched her cap back, seizing it to her chest. "This is my property, not-so thank you very much!"
She studied it carefully and gently smoothed over the creases, inspecting it to make sure it was pristine before putting it back atop her head. Coral giggled and laid back down into bed, this time on her back slightly propped up against the pillows. "Let's try that again, shall we?" She opened up her arms, making Meanie mutter a small curse before crawling over. Reservations be damned for one night.
"How do I.." She sat over Coral, unsure how to properly fit herself.
"Lay your head on my chest."
Ena followed as instructed, resting her head on top of the other woman's chest, close to her neck, with her torso resting on the lower half of her stomach, Her waist and disparate legs idly sat between Coral's own, and she let out a small huff of air. Coral smoothed over the slight hackles that had raised from previous tension with a thumb, pulling Ena further on top of herself. It was surprisingly comfortable, the edges and points of Ena's body never digging too far. Like a weighted blanket. If said blanket was made up of different polygons, that is.
Ena's ahoges subtly spun into the shape of a heart, catching Coral's attention as she reached over and very slowly cupped them in her hand. They were just as soft as the hair attached to her head, but more solid. Like putty. "Can you feel these..?"
Ena made a muffled sound, burying her face into her chest. "Yeah. And they're ticklish." Coral filed that information away for later, breathing out a long sigh of content. The rain started to pick up again, rapping against the window. Ena had almost forgotten about it. She tensed up and clung onto the girl below her. "It's okay, Ena. I've got you." Gingerly, she took the hat off of Ena, which elicited a pitiful whine from the girl. "Shhh," she tried to reassure her, placing it onto her nightstand and making sure it wasn't too close to the edge so it wouldn't fall of during the night. "I'll keep it safe. It won't get dirty, I promise."
Something about those string of words grounded her. Such a silly thing.. Coral making a promise to care about something she loved dearly.. She let loose of her tension, nuzzling up higher right into Coral's neck, exhaling. Coral felt Ena's warm breath on her neck, making her shiver. She laid a hand on Ena's head and the other on her back, once again smoothing shapes into it.
The two lapsed into silence, embracing one another. The fans blew chilly air over them while Coral tangled her legs with Ena's, the absence of a blanket becoming more apparent. She weakly reached for the covers while trying not to bother Ena, rolling her eyes at her obvious failure. She held Ena to her chest as she slowly sat up, snatching the blanket and quickly laying back down to pull it over the both of them.
Warm. It was so warm, Ena thought. Her mind became hazy with some sort of foreign emotion. Thunder and gunshots long gone from her mind. Coral was so.. kind. Her voice lingered in Ena's head, her touches so delicate and tranquil. She wondered if it'd be gone when she woke up. She dreaded the abandonment—dreaded growing used to the comfort instead of acknowledging its short lifespan—but she gave it a rest. She could worry about her owning rights at a later date.
Focused on keeping her mind busy with other antics, she pressed her ear firmly against Coral's chest. What she didn't expect, however, was the sound of faint hums and clicks—machines running their course with circuits. So she was partly mechanical. "Fascinating.." she mumbled, not meaning to speak the words aloud. The woman under her heard it though—and blushed. "W-what?"
Ena's eyes were stilled closed, her breaths steady as she responded. "Your mechanics.. such lovely machinery.. a fax for a heart is poetic, I must say. May I print out my fidelity-filled application..?"
"Y-you're full of it," she sputtered, body starting to get a bit too hot—with the blankets, Ena on top of her, and her flirty remarks. She wanted to fault the fans for not doing their jobs well-enough.
"Mmm, the bins do seem to overflow with aspirations these days.."
Coral loured, the hand in her hair starting to pet at it softly. "I have plenty of spare shelves.. you're free to start a new collection." Ena leaned into the pets, carelessly nuzzling into the warmth. She fell silent at the remark, did she deserve to have wants of her own? Desires she knew her sin-stained hands couldn't hold? She opened her eyes and took note of their situation, face contemplative. "..we've entered quite the contract, it appears." Though she didn't move.
"Contract?" Coral repeated, leaning her head back to observe Ena. "I didn't realize there was a paper-process to go through for this sort of agreement."
"Of course there is!" Ena grumbled, face quickly switching between both sides. "This is business, afterall."
Coral rolled her eye and laughed. "My apologies then, I'll have those documents printed and pinned with paperclips at your nearest convenience."
"You're fortuitous I'm not scripting a complaint letter! What would The Boss think? Contact between coworkers being unauthorized!" Ena spoke with a little mischievous glimmer in her eyes. Though her own emphasis on coworkers made her think, perhaps, could they be something more..? She let those thoughts die out before they could expand.
"The Boss doesn't have to be aware of everything, you know. We aren't on the clock."
Ena smirked, giving Coral a playful little nudge into her hand. "Oh the delinquency! Your record is quite the ink stain."
"And I'm sure yours is fairing much better, mm?" Coral bit back, amused over the light-hearted glare both of Ena's sides shared for a moment. She glanced back over at the clock and sighed. 5:03am. She was unable to suppress a yawn, making Ena soften against the woman. She spoke quietly. "Sorry for keeping you up.."
She shook her head and laid down further against the mattress, more flat, mumbling faint;y. "Cease. You are no bother to me. It is late though. Let's.. get some rest, okay?" Coral Glasses would never admit it, but Ena's presence was more of an aid than hindrance.
Ena hummed lightly, resting her head back on top of her chest and closing her eyes. The fan covered most of the rain now, though it was still slightly audible. Coral wrapped her arms around Ena's torso, somehow pulling her even closer into their embrace. She didn't want to sleep quite yet, drinking in the warmth of another entity. She could get used to this..
A quiet, repetitive noise started to fill the space. Coral peeked open her eye, unable to see where the sound was coming from, but she certainly felt it. Ena's chest was vibrating, rumbling with a soothing sound. Was she purring? Coral didn't think her feelings for the salesperson could grow anymore. As much as she wanted to tease Ena for it, she found it grounding. Kept her in the moment.
She smiled, starting to pet Ena again, which she responded with a quiet 'mmm' and a nuzzle near her collarbone. Runas, she was..
Coral finally closed her eye, unwilling, wanting to absorb in this delicate trade they stumbled into. She measured Ena's exhales against her neck as they slowed and took on a lazy pattern. Ena's thoughts had relaxed, too, feeling comfortable in the arms of her associate. She would have to file through her feelings in the morning.
As the night progressed, they tossed and turned a little, bodies pressed against one another, never quite letting go. Ena's limbs tangled funnily around Coral's. Ena's rest was usually fitful, but tonight was different. Warm.
That was Ena's last thought before her consciousness faded.
It was so warm.