Chapter Text
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It’s going to rain.
Amelia observes the ashy clouds. The window of her office is getting foggy with condensation and she has to use her sleeve to wipe it down. The grey clouds don’t go away even when she glares at them. Shoo. She feels the dampness on her sleeve and shivers. Go away.
“Wanna just sleep on the couch?” Amelia asks without expecting an answer.
Ina makes a noncommittal noise from her desk. Amelia tilts her head to keep an eye on her. The priestess is buried in a city of textbooks. She’s working diligently at her laptop, a pen between her teeth. The level of focus she’s giving this has Amelia smiling fondly.
“Ina.” She leans against the window. “You’re not gonna get it done in one day.”
“But it’d be nice,” Ina murmurs, her fingers running over the keys rapidly. She adds on teasingly, “Do you want me gone?”
“You’re in my chair.”
“Mmm. Nice chair. I think I'll take it.”
Amelia scoffs. She’s walking around the desk and wrapping her arms around Ina’s neck from behind. Her girlfriend hums, leaning back into her touch. Thoughts of grim weather fall off her mind. She nuzzles the sharpness of Ina’s ear. The little giggle she gets makes her heart swell.
“Isn’t the couch too small?” Ina asks.
Amelia huffs, “Now you answer me.” She gives the leather couch tucked into the corner of her office a once-over. She’s passed out on that thing more times than she can count. It’s not comfortable by any stretch, but it’s better than the chair. Anytime she’s fallen asleep at her desk she’s woken up with documents stuck to her face and her back twisted into a pretzel.
“Mmh.” Amelia doesn’t want to admit both options suck. She also doesn’t want to go walking in the rain. “We can have a sleepover.”
“On what? The books?”
Amelia whispers, “Each other.”
She’s unsurprised when Ina’s elbow jerks back and nails her in the ribs. Amelia laughs, rubbing the spot tenderly. Ina looks amused.
“Tsk, tsk.” She’s playfully tilting her head to the side. “Can’t you wait like a good girl?”
“I’m not a dog.”
Ina smiles slyly, “Oh no. Looks like I have some training to do.”
Amelia perks up. She likes that look on Ina’s face. It’s enticing her to walk forward and kiss her until she can’t breathe. Before she can even take a step she hears the rumble of thunder overhead. Her good mood deflates. Ina notices.
“I could use Ao-chan.” Ina waves a hand to where her book is atrophying on the shelf. Ina has also said charging in the same sentence as no wifi, so it could be doing anything. Amelia considers having tentacles as a cover, but they likely won’t be the only ones out in this rain. Someone was bound to see and cause a fuss.
Amelia sighs, “Well. Whatever. Are you done yet? I want to get dinner.”
“Patience.” Ina gestures to the couch, “Why don’t you take a nap or something?”
“I could help.”
“With art history?” Ina raises an eyebrow. Amelia wordlessly moves to the couch. Ina laughs at her antics, “Thought so.”
Amelia makes a show of sitting down and crossing her legs. I am a dignified young lady and I’ve just been snubbed, she thinks. She tilts her head up to really sell the brattiness of it. Ina isn’t typing anymore. She’s leaning her chin on her fist and watching Amelia fondly. It’s hard to put on an annoyed facade when Ina gives her gooey eyes.
“If I nap here, you’re going home by yourself.” Amelia lies.
Ina doesn’t look bothered, “I’ll just carry you.”
I’d like that a lot. Amelia raises an eyebrow, “In the rain?”
“I’d carry you anywhere, detective.”
Amelia sticks her tongue out. She can’t come up with a witty comeback to such a heartfelt thing. As it is, she’s barely holding back the blush trying to kill her. Ina is merciful and returns to her project. Amelia can see her little self-satisfied smile. She can’t find it in her to be upset about it.
She doesn’t doze off. She leans her head back, sinking into the couch cushions until all she sees is the ceiling. She can see the window in the corner of her eye. She can see the raindrops appearing one by one in a slow but steady pattern. Another rumble of thunder overhead.
Maybe I can steal an umbrella from one of the other offices. She muses. An extra coat maybe? She thinks it over as she waits. She spaces out and doesn’t come back until she feels arms fitting around her neck.
Amelia closes her eyes and pretends aloofness, “Finally ready to go?”
“Are you ready to be carried like a princess?” Ina whispers into her ear. It sends shivers down her spine.
“I’m not a princess.”
“You’re right.” Ina kisses her neck. “You’re a brat.”
Amelia laughs and pushes her away. Ina doesn’t let her go that easily and is dragging her to her feet. Amelia lets her, winding her arms around Ina’s waist. Her priestess is nuzzling her shoulder affectionately.
“I’m starving,” Amelia says. “What did we want for dinner?”
“What did you say before?” Ina is giggling, “Each other?”
Amelia sputters, “Don’t use my own joke on me, that’s cheating.”
“You offered.”
“Are you accepting?”
Ina blows air on her ear. Amelia flinches and retaliates by rubbing her head against Ina’s. Ina starts laughing and trying to bat her away.
“Ame that tickles!”
“Stop flirting! I’m hungry!”
“Okay, okay!”
There’s an overhang just over the door of the office that keeps them dry from the weather. Amelia stares sourly out into the rain from its safety. Where before it was a drizzle, now it was a curtain of water. The mist from it was shrouding much of the street.
Ina was looking at it nervously. She didn't even have a jacket, “I guess I’ll use Ao-chan…”
Amelia considers it. She doesn’t like the idea of someone finding them, even in this low visibility. She’s shrugging off her coat. Ina jumps when she drapes it over her head.
“Ame…?” Ina is delicately touching the ends of the coat, “You need this more than I do, you shouldn’t-”
“Then we better be quick.” Amelia winks. “Let me be a little chivalrous. As payment, you’re making dinner.”
“Ah, so that’s your ploy.”
“Clever, ain’t it?”
Ina smiles as she wraps her arms around Amelia’s elbow, “Oh yes. I’m astounded by your brilliance.”
Amelia pulls her closer, “Can you keep up?”
“Don’t let go of me.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
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The next morning, Amelia is sick.
She knows it the moment she’s conscious. She can feel it hugging her chest, clogging her throat, and burning up her nose. Her head feels like a lead weight. Every inch of her skin is on fire. The blankets around her have turned her into a furnace.
She’s sick.
And she’s about to be sick.
She’s throwing off the covers and running for the bathroom. Her shoulder meets the doorframe painfully, but she can’t be bothered with that when she’s losing her dinner in the toilet. Gross, gross, gross. She drops her head onto the toilet bowl, feeling like a wasted party girl at 3 AM. Her stomach rolls uncomfortably and she whimpers.
There are hurried footsteps heading towards her. Must have woken her up. She can’t see Ina but she feels her hands brushing her hair back.
“Oh, dear.” Ina whispers. “Ame?”
Amelia tries to be cheeky by saying good morning but all that comes out is a bunch of garbled noises. Ina's hand finds her forehead. She withdraws quickly. Amelia, through her blurry vision, can see her rifling through the medicine cabinet. She pours water into a cup too.
“Okay.” Ina is crouching beside her. Amelia knows what’s next. She frowns at the medicine in Ina’s hands. She knows exactly what those are and exactly what they do. “Don’t make that face Ame, you’re burning up.”
Amelia deflates. She doesn’t like the seriousness in Ina’s tone, “Alright.”
It’s horrible tasting and sticks to her throat like slime. Amelia shivers, her stomach jumping warningly, but thankfully nothing comes up. Ina offers the water. Amelia shys away.
“Just a little sip.” Ina moves the cup in circles like that’d entice her. “Please Ame? For me?”
Amelia groans, “You’re cruel.”
Ina smiles weakly, “I’m worried.”
Amelia’s defenses crumble like paper. She exhales, letting Ina guide the cup to her lips. The one sip alone has her insides scrambling all over the place. Everything feels too hot and she turns her head away from the cup.
“Sorry.” Amelia gasps out, already picturing Ina’s expression, “Give me a second.”
Ina’s hand is soothing her hair back, “Shhh. It’s fine. We’ll wait for a second and then try again.”
The fingers stroking through her hair feel great. Amelia sighs, watching Ina through half-lidded eyes. She really hates getting sick. She hates it more to see the pinch of Ina’s brow. She looks like she’s in pain and Amelia can’t do anything about it.
“Round two.” Ina offers the cup again, “Slowly.”
Amelia manages. She feels disgusting and would like nothing more than to take an icy cold shower, but the doctor side of her is kicking her. I’m my own worst enemy. Amelia closes her eyes and tries to calm her stomach from wanting to turn upside down.
Ina is shuffling closer to her, “You need to get back into bed.”
“Mhh.” She knows that. Moving sounded awful and not fun. Amelia peeks an eye open, “Bad.”
“What if I carried you?” Ina caresses her thumb over Amelia’s cheek. Cold. Amelia leans against her palm, sighing happily at the coolness of it. “Ame?”
What?
Amelia makes a vague noise. Ina is wrapping an arm underneath her legs and lifting her up. The change in elevation has her head spiraling. She whines, clinging to Ina’s shirt.
Ina shushes her gently, “It’s back to bed. You need rest.”
When Ina lays her back in her spot on the bed, Amelia curls up like she’s been burned. The spot is still warm, too hot too hot. Ina brushes her hair behind her ear, a small distraction from her pulling up the covers.
Amelia groans, “It’s too hot.”
“I’m going to get a fan going,” Ina promises. “You can’t catch chills, so please don’t kick the blankets off.”
Amelia makes a vague confirmation. She doesn’t like the covers at all, but she’ll have to deal with it. That and she really can’t stand the sadness in Ina’s voice right now.
“Sorry.” Amelia breathes, “This sucks.”
Ina leans down to kiss her forehead, “Don’t be. I’m glad you woke me up. I would have had a heart attack if I found you unconscious in the bathroom.”
Amelia doesn’t know what to say to that. She doesn’t like the idea either. Ina’s hand is back to her forehead and yes, yes, cold. Amelia practically purrs at the feeling. Ina’s fingers are gently scratching through her hair. It’s calming her down and relaxing her from the unpleasant warmth.
“I’m going to go get the fan. Water, too.” Ina murmurs. Amelia hates the idea of Ina and her wonderful hands leaving. She shakes her head. Ina is giggling, “Okay. I’ll stay for a minute, but you need water.”
“All I need is you.”
“Cute.” Ina tweaks her nose, “How are you feeling?”
Amelia hums, “A little better.” She can definitely feel the medicine doing its hard work by rattling her insides. She’s not on the verge of dry heaving anymore, if that’s something. She’s stuck between awful and just pleasant enough to be a human being. It’s enough her eyes are starting to feel heavy. She sinks into the pillows with a sigh.
Ina gives her a parting kiss on the cheek, “Rest. I’ll be here.”
Good, Amelia thinks.
It’s not a good sleep. She wakes up at random intervals, too hot to think and her head too fuzzy to make out what’s happening. Ina is always there, crouched beside the bed or in a chair she’s pulled up. Medicine has been stacked on the end table. Beside it, a fan whirls away, giving a pleasant breeze. Every time she wakes, Ina feeds her liquids before Amelia passes out again.
Once, she wakes up to a cool hand gently running up and down her arm. Amelia wants to just pull Ina under the covers with her, but body heat might actually kill her. She settles with threading her fingers with Ina’s, content with the chuckle she gets in return.
She wakes again at night, the only light in the room from a lamp that’s been turned on low. Amelia appreciates it. Her eyes feel sensitive and they ache every time she blinks. She finds Ina with her head on the bed pillowed by her arms. Amelia’s heart swells. She’s still holding her hand. Cute.
“Careful,” Amelia whispers. “I’m falling in love with you all over again.”
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Amelia has breakfast in bed. She’s feeling well enough that Ina’s propped her up with a mountain of pillows and changed up water to tea. Amelia sighs with relief, glad to make it over the first hurdle. She doesn’t feel like she’s on fire anymore, just too warm. Ina takes her temperature and beams at her.
“You’re recovering well.” Ina praises. “Let’s get you some food. How’s soup sound?”
“I’d love that.”
“ Soup- er.”
When Ina returns with the bowl, she jokingly says, “Should I feed it to you?”
“Let me have my dignity back.” Amelia makes grabby hands for the soup, “You got to feed me goopy juice, let me have this.”
Ina laughs. She crawls up into bed beside her as Amelia eats. She’s not too close that it crowds her, but close enough she starts showing Amelia pictures on her phone or what their friends have been doing. She keeps the food down and the blinding smile Ina gives her for it makes Amelia’s face turn red. Ina rewards her with a kiss.
“You’re going to get sick,” Amelia says.
“I’m a priestess.” Ina says as she takes the empty bowl, “I can’t get sick.”
Right. Amelia watches her leave in amusement. It’s a good thing the medicine is still out then.
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