Work Text:
Steady thrumming in her head, stinging behind her eyes too sensitive to the light. There was only one candle lit in the chamber where Cassandra was sitting on the couch, leaning onto her knees, head bent down. She massaged her temples, letting out a groan.
The door clanged, the noise of it too loud in her ears. She did not turn to look.
“My love?” Josephine’s voice was worried. Cassandra did not reply. She was sure if she opened her mouth she would vomit. She heard the familiar swishing of skirts, Josephine’s light steps coming closer. Then the feeling of her weight on the couch, beside her. “Are you alright?”
Cassandra groaned again, pressing her hands harder against her temples. Josephine’s hand came to touch her back. “Come, love”, she said softly and scooted further, pulling Cassandra’s head onto her lap.
Slowly, with nimble fingers, Josephine unbound the braid circling Cassandra’s head. She untied the band around the braid and released it, gently combing through her hair. They fell into silence, Josephine’s fingers repeatedly carding through Cassandra’s black hair, gently massaging her scalp. And since the first touch of her hands, Cassandra felt already better, though her headache was far from gone.
Although the blood pulsed within her head, still thrumming unpleasantly, the methodical movement of Josephine’s hands against her skin began to cut the worst of the pain. Still, she kept her eyes closed, listening to Josephine humming soothingly. And all of this was enough to cradle her into sleep.
She stirred, slowly opening her eyes. The room was still lit, her head only slightly throbbing now. Slowly, she sat up on the couch, seeing Josephine concentrated in her papers, relying only to a single candle for the light. When she stood up, Josephine raised her head from her work, smiling.
“You shouldn’t work with so little light in the room”, Cassandra said frowning.
Josephine laid down her quill. “I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Cassandra turned around the desk and wrapped her arms around Josephine, burying her face amidst the soft hair Josephine had already unbound for the night. There was a faint scent of flowers from the perfume she used, and Cassandra kissed her neck, lingering, for she wished to relish in the small moment. “Bed?” she whispered against her skin.
Josephine looked at her papers for a moment, then sighed. “I suppose I can continue tomorrow morning.”
They lay down on the bed for quite a while, not sleeping, Cassandra’s head resting on Josephine’s chest. She listened to Josephine talk quietly about the day and the plans for tomorrow. She listened to the steady beating of her heart, the heart which she had willingly given to Cassandra, and it made her own heart swell with love.
“I’m better when I’m with you”, she whispered when the silence had fallen into the room again. She felt Josephine shift, so they were facing each other on the pillow. There was a sweet smile on her lover’s lips, glimmer in Josephine’s eyes as she leaned forward to kiss her.
“Amore mio, my sweet warrior, my Cassandra”, Josephine whispered, pressing their foreheads together.