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Dani awoke to Jamie muttering a string of profanities under her breath as she slipped out of her arms.
“Jamie?”
Between blinks, she saw Jamie sitting up against the headboard.
“What’s wrong?”
Jamie had stopped cursing, but she didn’t respond. Dani rubbed her eyes and propped herself up, resting her forearm against her pillow. Then, she opened her eyes fully, and her breath caught. Jamie was wide-eyed, alarmingly pale and barely breathing. Suddenly tense, Dani scrambled to sit up properly.
“Jamie?”
She still didn’t respond, didn’t even acknowledge her.
“Jamie, talk to me.”
She tried to keep her voice calm for Jamie’s sake but couldn’t help a hint of panic from creeping in. She reached over and pressed her hand to Jamie’s chest. Her heartbeat didn’t feel arrhythmic, but she could feel it pounding even through her T-shirt. And she still hadn’t respond.
“Okay, I’m gonna go get help.”
Her voice and hand now trembling, she reluctantly turned around, pulled back the duvet and slipped out of the motel bed.
“No!”
She whipped around, relieved that Jamie had finally spoken again but anxious to know what was going on. Before she could ask, Jamie gasped. Following her gaze, Dani looked down and noticed a small red stain on the front of her nightgown. For a moment, she was perplexed, and then everything made sense.
“Oh.”
Dani laughed slightly in relief, feeling the knot in her stomach dissolve — only for it to reform with a vengeance as she looked back up at Jamie. Her face now beet-red, Jamie was staring down at her hands, which she was wringing on top of the duvet.
“I’m sorry.”
Her voice was the smallest Dani had ever heard it, and she sounded like she was fighting back tears.
“No, Jamie! I - ”
Dani rushed across the room, cursing herself for her knee-jerk reaction. It had only been a couple weeks since they’d left Bly, so neither of them had had to deal with this particular part of their lives since becoming a couple... until now. And Dani had immediately made things worse.
“I didn’t mean it like that! I just - ” Dani sighed as she sat down on the edge of the bed beside Jamie, trying to collect her thoughts. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
She tried for a reassuring smile, but Jamie hadn’t looked up.
“S’not the word I would use.”
Dani reached over and placed a hand on top of Jamie’s, squeezing them.
“Jamie, you have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“Wouldn’t you be?”
Dani went to object but then realized Jamie had a point. As she tried to think of what to say, she heard Jamie chuckle. It was more of a sniff, really, and rather sardonic, but it was something. Evidently, she thought she’d won. But just then, Dani thought of a counterpoint.
“Would you want me to be?”
Jamie went to respond but then closed her mouth a moment later, seemingly in resignation. Dani smirked. She knew anything other than “no” would’ve been a lie, and she’d known that Jamie knew she knew that.
“Hey.”
With her free hand, she tilted Jamie’s head up and toward her. Jamie’s face was still flushed but not quite as furiously, and Dani could see a hint of a smile on her lips. Feeling a smile on her own, she leaned in until they were on Jamie’s. She pulled back a moment later.
Jamie was blushing a little more now, though Dani suspected for a different reason than before, and she was smiling, albeit shyly. It faded as her gaze turned back to Dani’s nightgown, though.
“I’ll buy ya a new one.”
Clearing her throat, Jamie looked back at her hands, which Dani began massaging before Jamie could start wringing them again.
Dani wanted to object — it wasn’t necessary and the stain might wash out anyway. But then she reconsidered. A trip to the laundromat, even if they brought a load’s worth of clothes, would only make Jamie feel more self-conscious, whereas letting Jamie do this for her would probably make Jamie feel better. So, Dani hummed in assent.
“Maybe you could find one a bit more... alluring.”
Jamie looked up in surprise, and then her face relaxed into a familiar expression.
“That a challenge... or a request?”
Grinning at her smirk, Dani leaned in again and kissed her on the cheek.
“Why don’t you hop in the shower, and I’ll give housekeeping a heads up, okay?”
Having partially pulled back the duvet when she’d gotten out on her side, she’d since noticed staining on the sheets, too. Jamie shook her head.
“S’ma fault. I should - ”
“Jamie.” Jamie paused. Dani had used her ‘teacher’ tone. “It’s not your fault. It just... happened. Could’ve just as easily been me.”
“Yeah, well, even if... you weren’t the one... ”
Jamie looked down again, clearing her throat. Dani furrowed her brow, and then she realized what Jamie was getting at.
“Jamie, look at me.” Nothing. “Jamie.”
Jamie complied, chuckling at her tone, though she still looked embarrassed. Dani smiled softly.
“I don’t regret spooning you.” Dani felt her smile widen. “Quite liked it, actually.”
Dani watched proudly as Jamie laughed, despite herself and her clearly burning cheeks. Dani had made the latter point in her ‘Jamie’ accent, feeling it was apropos since it sounded more like something Jamie would say and hoping, of course, it would elicit this reaction.
Jamie was looking down again now but smiling shyly. She nodded.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
Dani wasn’t sure which part of what she’d said Jamie was referring to.
“You can, uh, tell ’em.” Jamie suddenly looked back up, her smile faltering. “If that’s - if you still - ”
“I do.” Dani smiled warmly. “Thank you.”
It was a rather odd thing to say, she recognized. But she knew it was difficult for Jamie to let other people help her. This was a big step for her and for their relationship, even. So, yes, she was thankful; and she was proud of her.
“Thank you, Dani.”
Jamie was now looking at her both sheepishly and adoringly. Dani cupped her face, then kissed the top of her head as she stood up. She turned away but then turned back.
“Do you need, umm, supplies?”
Jamie’s eyebrows rose. Evidently, it hadn’t occurred to her until this moment, either. She looked back down at her hands and nodded.
“Okay, I’ll take care of that, too.”
Jamie looked up again. Dani could tell she wanted to push back, but she smiled as Jamie cut herself off with a small smile of her own, apparently having thought better of it.
Dani turned around, grabbed a towel off the back of a nearby chair and threw it to Jamie, figuring she might want something to wrap around her shorts. The towel was white, but it was a quick walk to the bathroom and she wouldn’t be looking anyway.
She just wanted to give Jamie as much peace of mind as she could under the circumstances. She saw Jamie’s smile widen in appreciation, then turned back around as Jamie started pulling back her side of the duvet.
“Get going. I want to change.”
Dani had meant it as a flirty joke, hoping to the lighten the mood further, but then she felt the blood drain from her face as she realized how it might sound given what had happened to her nightgown.
“Think I’ll go ahead and slow down, then.”
Dani laughed as she felt her face flush. A moment later, she felt a hand at her waist and lips brush against her bare shoulder.
“Thanks again, Poppins.”