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The first thing Texas could comprehend was the scent of fire. The inhalation of smoke that made her choke and threaten to collapse onto the ground. The heat searing her skin and blistering the flesh that rested beneath her coat. The orange and yellow filling her vision whilst her eyes would stream from the stinging sensation reaching her.
“Cellinia…”
Lupo ears would stand on edge as she swallowed back another round of debilitating coughs, one hand covering her mouth as she searched for the sound of the voice, an exit, anything but the fire that threatened to take over her entire being. There was no escape. No way out.
“Cellinia.”
With each syllable of her name, the flames would rise higher and so would her heart rate, it would be beating fast enough to make her certain this was where she died.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
For a second everything froze.
Before the next sensation that would reach her was the cool drops of rain that felt like heaven amidst the scorching fire, it wasn’t enough to put it out, not even close. But it was a temporary relief.
She felt her head raise just a little bit, basking in the cool water beginning to fall over her face, her hair, her chest… But good things never really lasted, did they?
“Cellinia~”
This time the voice would be a whisper in her ear, the breath against her skin familiar yet repulsive at the same time. A voice she knew all to well, and one that she wished she would never have to hear again.
“Ah… ti stavo aspettando…” The voice would whisper once more, each word full of untold horrors and desires, of broken promises and forgotten memories. The fire still froze around them, but the rain continued to pour, earning the occasional flick of her ears to keep them dry, but nothing more of a reaction. That would never please /her/. Lappland. Even after all these years, she was tormented by that wolf.
“Cucciolo mio Cellinia, arrivederci~”
And just like that, she felt the rain stop, and the fire would consume her.
----
“…”
Orange eyes would snap open as she practically jumped up from her laying back position, hands clutching her throat as she gasped for breath but none seemed to be coming. She was fine. She was safe. Nobody else was here, nobody but her and…
In her panic, she’d almost forgotten about the little detail beside her in the form of an angel who thankfully seemed to be remaining asleep despite Texas still trying to catch her breath. It was moments like these that she wished she could have a cigarette again.
Nobody was here but the two of them. Just her and Exusiai.
It wasn’t often that Texas dreamed about her home, if she could even call it that anymore. It had been so long since she had even thought of it, after all she was usually busy with deliveries and working, anything that could take her mind off of the things she had left behind.
For a moment, Texas would stare forward at the wall, slowing her breathing and trying to compose herself as best she could, normally she would have ended up just playing some of Sora’s music and drifting back off to sleep, but that was off the cards tonight thanks to the girl sleeping beside her. For some reason that alone was comforting enough.
The subtle movements of her angel did disturb her just a little bit, the thought of anyone seeing her in such a… vulnerable moment was terrifying enough. Let alone someone who… still didn’t know just the extent of how much she was hiding. Exusiai had done well at restraining herself from asking too many questions, Texas would never fault her for that. And she knew it was cruel to keep her in the dark, to act like everything would be fine when one day it would return and drag her back to the darkness. That alone was something she couldn’t involve her with, and if she forgave her or not, the consequences would be a sin Texas alone would have to bear.
“Tex…?”
A smaller voice would groan out as the girl in question was just about to lift the covers to go and at least get changed, her entire body felt like it was coated in a cold sweat as a result of that… nightmare. One that would no doubt get worse if she did wake Exusiai up.
“It’s fine… go back to sleep.”
Despite trying to sound confident, Texas’ voice would be hoarse and a bit shaky in a way that instantly made the redhead crack open her eyes just a little bit. Naturally, Texas was no Sankta but even that typically serious and thoughtful face was distant in a way she hadn’t seen very often before. She didn’t need Empathy to see that something had shaken her up pretty bad, and she’d most likely get a flick to the forehead for even trying to find the solution. That has never stopped her before and it wouldn’t stop her now.
“You… okay…?” She’d fight back a yawn as she sat up, awkwardly rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she followed suit and got into a sitting up position, a brief pout forming as the cold settled in without the warmth of both Texas beside her or the duvet.
The back of her mind was screaming that this was the moment Texas would leave. That all of this had been nothing to her.
“I’m fine.”
“…”
The silence would settle in the echo of the room as only the tick of the clock would be heard. The silhouette of Texas hugging her arms was clear in the darkness, one that threatened to tear Exusiai apart.
Slowly she would reach her hand out, tentatively resting it upon Texas’ arm and flinching as she felt the muscle tense beneath her fingers. And feeling her heart race slightly as she heard the typically stoic voice showing the most emotion it had in a long time.
“It was…” A memory? A bad dream? A vision? Texas didn’t know herself.
“Just… a nightmare…” She’d whisper aloud, silently begging her shoulders to stop their heaving and for her throat to stop tightening whenever she tried to make a sound. It was just the two of them. Only the two of them. She was safe. She was fine.
Everything would be quiet, the world would stand still once more.
Until she felt arms wrap around her from behind and subtly begin to pull her just that little bit closer, enough to convey a sense of security but not enough that if Texas wanted to she could easily pull away.
And naturally, Texas would oblige, moving back onto the bed and resting back a little, her head gently pressing against Exusiai’s chest whilst she held her knees together. She wished she could curl up and die, if she could she would have. But the gentle sensation of Exusiai’s chin resting on the space between her ears would calm her, swallowing a lump in the back of her throat just from the tenderness with which she was being held.
Slowly, she would lift her head to stare upwards at her angel, her little guardian angel, her everything— that she could never admit out loud.
“Exusiai…” She’d breathe softly, ignoring the crack in her voice just from the sight of her friend, her partner. Just relieved to be held in those hands that weren’t stained red like her own were. No matter what she did, she knew she would always be waiting for her. Always.
That thought broke her.
Texas’ lips pursed slightly as she felt the tears roll down her cheeks before she even recognised her vision blurring over with the pure emotion she felt. She didn’t want to cry. She didn’t want to be seen this way. It felt like one nightmare had jumped into another, but for some reason she couldn’t stop.
The sight of Texas crying was enough to make Exusiai slightly startled herself, a nervous grin appearing as she found her own eyes reaching the others, she didn’t mean to make her upset. “H-Hey…” She’d speak gently into the night, quickly spurring into action as she moved Texas’s bangs to kiss her gently on the forehead and then down to each individual tear that seemed to be flowing. What could she say in a situation like this? “You’re okay, y-you’re fine, it was just a bad dream, alright?” She’d gently plant a few more kisses until the tears slowed and stopped altogether.
Whilst the lupo somehow found herself breathless once more from the affection, changing positions to this time be directly resting her head against Exusiai’s chest, pressing her ear hard enough that she could practically feel the racing of her heart, another comfort in the darkness of the night. “Alright…” She’d whisper back softly, not resisting as Exusiai used her thumb this time to wipe away the tracks that had stained her cheeks. Neither of them went into details of what was scaring her. Exusiai was never pushy, never impatient, never speculative when it came to her past, they both trusted each other that when the time came, she would lay everything bare. But that wouldn’t be tonight.
“I’m sorry…” Texas would whisper back, nuzzling her head the same way she would have done if she was a child, her ears folding back slightly and her hand finding it’s way to Exusiai’s own, loosely interlocking their fingers together in a rare initiation of the affection she craved but loathed asking for.
“Don’t be sorry… it happens…” The almost casual reply would come, Exusiai was no stranger to those darker nights, but since she’d been sharing a bed with Texas nearly every night for… who knows how long, they’d lessened and lessened. Maybe it was just the effects of having someone she loved nearby, knowing they were there. Maybe it was just Texas having secret magical powers or something, either way she wasn’t complaining.
“Do you want to ta-“ Exusiai would begin but would immediately be cut off by the wolf shaking her head silently, causing the angel to chuckle slightly as the sleepiness was slowly growing once more. In a bold move, she’d gently place her fingers against Texas’ cheek to guide her to look upwards, placing a brief, gentle kiss to her lips before pulling away once more, a smile replacing her expression as she felt the other return that kiss. “I love you…”
“I love you, too…” the quiet response would return, another affectionate nuzzle against her chest that would be Exusiai’s signal to lay back once more, except this time with a little wolf resting against her chest, a little wolf who would then wrap her arms around her angels waist whilst that angel herself would lightly play with the long strands of dark hair that fell against her shoulder.
The two would lay in silence for a long time, the gentle caresses between them making up for anything words could say. Before at last, the breathing of the lupo would even out and the grip against Exusiai’s hand would slowly relax as she fell asleep once more.
That was all the confirmation Exusiai needed to kiss those fluffy ears once more, a habit she couldn’t help by now but one she knew Texas secretly loved herself. It wouldn’t take Exusiai long to fall asleep herself this time, after all they still had a long day of work ahead in the morning… but that wouldn’t be too hard to deal with if she woke up to the prettiest girl in Lungmen in her arms.