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By the time they reach the clearing on the mountain and Caleb is done casting the dome Beau is shaking uncontrollably.
The cold mixed with her injuries has her regretting very much that she decided not to cover her midriff when choosing her outfit for Eiselcross.
Still, she’s not sure it would help anything right now, she feels like she’s one hard gust of icy wind away from dropping dead and she just can’t stop shivering.
She knows it’s a good thing that she’s still shivering, somewhere distantly in her mind; it means her body is still trying to keep itself warm. But it’s hard to remember that’s a good thing right now, her teeth are clattering and every shiver that rocks her body feels painful.
Even after the dome has gone up she keeps shivering, despite the fact it’s supposedly climate controlled.
She’s tired, she’s so tired and cold and everything hurts and she wants to sleep but the fucking shivering and clattering makes it impossible.
Tears gather at the corner of her eyes, something that just serves to make her angry. She is not going to cry over this, she’s not but she’s just so cold and tired.
She hears vague rustling beside her and she figures it’s just someone trying to get comfortable, but then she feels something heavy and furred be laid over her body.
It’s almost a shock to her body and it gives its hardest shiver yet before it settles down.
Beau uncurls herself slightly from the ball she had curled into to look at her blanket.
Only it’s not a blanket, it’s a large coat.
Yasha’s coat.
She blinks a couple of times as she tries to make sense of things, gathering what little energy she has left to roll over to her other side to look at Yasha.
Yasha is laying on her side too, using her arms as pillows as she meets Beau’s gaze.
They stare at each other in silence before Yasha carefully reaches a hand forward, clearly telegraphing her intentions as she bundles the coat tighter around Beau.
“Was that okay?” Yasha whispers, careful to keep the conversation between the two of them.
“Yeah.” Beau whispers just as quietly, happy that her teeth have mostly stopped clattering and she’s pretty sure feeling is returning to her fingers as she fists Yasha’s coat “Just feel kinda bad that you felt you had to.”
“I didn’t.” Beau blinks at Yasha “Feel like I had to, I mean.” Yasha looks down and Beau is pretty sure she’s blushing “I wanted to, I should have asked you but I was afraid you’d refuse on principle.”
“Yeah,” Beau traces the subtle stitching on the coat “Normally I’d be pissed or something about it, and you’re right I probably would have refused.” The next words a little like pulling teeth “But I’m kinda discovering that sometimes it’s nice when people do things for you because they want to, not because they’re trying to own you.” She wants to say more but another involuntary shiver rocks through her.
Yasha looks worried “Are you sure you’re okay? Can I help?”
“Trust me, you already have.” She thinks of being held aloft by Lucien, the pain that had wrecked through her had been hellish and all-consuming and she had been sure that was how she was going to die before Yasha had managed to rip her away. “I’m already starting to heat up again, to tell you the truth, I think this is just aftershocks.” She says mostly to fill the quiet between them and to make Yasha stop looking so worried.
“You have had a shit day, what with the dragon and then Lucien.” Yasha looks like she’s about to say more but a mumble from somewhere in the dome has both of them holding their breaths until it’s replaced by snoring once more.
“Tell me about it dude.” And in a fit of insanity one of her hands emerge from beneath the coat to push some of Yasha’s hair behind her ear, “And also, I don’t know I guess I kinda thought or hoped or expected that we might have our date tonight.” The last part comes out like word vomit, and Beau can feel her face heat up.
Shit, maybe Lucien’s attack did some sort of permanent brain damage.
But Yasha just stares at her with stars in her eyes “I hoped so too.” She moves so she’s no longer laying on both of her arms and cautiously takes Beau’s hand in hers, playing idly with her fingers “But all that matters is that we’re both still here, still alive, so I have faith that we’ll get there.” She lets go of Beau’s hand “I, umm.” This time Beau is sure that Yasha blushes “Hopefully sooner rather than later.” And now Beau is blushing too as they avoid each other’s gazes.
They’re quiet for a while until Beau yawns, finally warm again the exhaustion of the day is catching up with her properly. “I feel kinda bad.” She mumbles “I didn’t mean to steal your coat.”
“You didn’t steal anything, I wanted to give it to you.”
“It definitely helped me warm up.” Another large yawn.
“I’m glad, but if you were still cold we could, you know, huddle for warmth.”
It’s an offer and a callback, back when Beau had suggested just that in hope of getting closer to Yasha in hopes of convincing her into her bed.
But now it’s so much more, it’s an offer of comfort after a terrible day. A way to say, ‘I know things aren’t what we thought they would be or hoped for, but we’re here together and that’s more than seemed possible not too long ago.”
Beau only realizes that she’s taken too long to answer when Yasha’s face begins to fall and Beau can practically see her begin to question if she’s crossed a line.
It’s a feeling Beau is very familiar with.
“Please.” She’s scooting closer to Yasha before the single word is out, heartened by the way Yasha’s face immediately brightens and she moves to meet Beau halfway.
It feels odd only because it feels so normal, as soon as they figure out how to lay together it feels right.
Beau can feel Yasha’s heartbeat beneath her head lulling her to sleep as Beau almost crawls on top of Yasha and she feels Yasha tighten her arms around her, Yasha’s body heat finally helping the last of the cold leave her bones.
They fall asleep cuddled together underneath Yasha’s large coat, Beau warm and comfortable as she drifts off to a dreamless sleep.