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“Stay.”
The blonde breathed, tired, a hand emerging from the sea of covers. It caught on to the tips of Lapis’ fingers, warm and clammy.
The swimmer stopped, heart filling with an emotion she didn’t want to name just yet, adjusting her grip on Peridot’s hand, threading her fingers through the other girl’s and giving a light, reassuring squeeze.
“Okay,” she said simply. The side of her mouth quirked up in a half-smile, tired, but happy. Home.
Peridot looked relieved, the lines on her face became less defined, whole body losing some of the pent up tension from the past few days.
Lapis wanted to kiss her, an urge that was all too familiar. Wanted to kiss her chapped lips, to cup the back of the blonde’s head and deepen the kiss, holding her hand all the while.
Instead she sat in a nearby chair, pulling it up closer to Peridot’s bedside, resting her head on the mattress.
“No. Here,” Peridot lifted the sheets, a small, barely-there smile. But it reached her eyes, something it hasn't done in a while.
“But your injuries -”
“Shh, I’ll be fine.”
A beat passed. There was a heavy undertone to this all, since Peridot was hurt, and she was hurt because of Lap-
“Please, ” Peridot whispered, “just tonight. I, I just need someone here.”
The older was glad she was wearing semi-comfortable clothes, even though she looked like shit. But there wasn’t time to grab anything, they were hiding after all.
Hiding because of Lapis. Hiding because of Jasper. Because of all of it.
And Peridot needed someone.
Her.
With a shaky intake of breath, she replied with a simple, wordless action; taking the edge of the sheets from the smaller girl.
She was hesitant on moving, but as Peridot carefully maneuvered herself, she let out a sigh.
The air hadn’t loosened. Her chest hurt.
Peridot’s arm snaked around her waist, head resting on the skin near the crook of her shoulder.
“Just tonight?” Lapis muttered, shifting to look at the blonde.
“Just tonight.”
They both knew Peridot was lying.