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A shrill scream sounded out from the kettle and Pearl forced herself to rise from her seat and pour out her tea. She curled her palms around the mug, trying to extract the warmth from it and pull it into her soul. Footsteps sounded softly behind her, and she felt two arms wrap themselves around her waist with a squeeze. A chin nestled itself into her hair, and she smiled, setting down her tea and resting her hands on her partner’s arms. “Hello, Sheena.” The human hummed in reply, gently spinning Pearl so that they were facing each other. “How was your day?” Pearl asked, hugging her back.
“Fine,” Sheena said, face almost fully in Pearl’s hair now. “Tired. Need cuddles.”
Pearl laughed and rubbed Sheena’s back. “I can see that. Why don’t you go lay on the couch and I’ll join you in a moment once I take this teabag out.” Sheena nodded, released the gem, and trudged into the living room. Pearl heard the thump of her body hitting the couch and smiled to herself. “Do you want a cup?” She called, putting her teabag in the trash and adding milk to her mug.
“No. Thanks though.” Came the distant reply.
Pearl nodded and picked up her mug, walking slowly into the living room so that nothing sloshed out. She pulled out a coaster from a set that Greg had made (he briefly dabbled in woodworking) and set it down on the coffee table, gently putting the mug on it. Sheena lifted her head, and Pearl eased herself onto the sofa where it had been. The human lowered herself back down, head resting on Pearl’s thin thighs. “Is this good?”
Sheena nodded, pressing a kiss to the top of Pearl’s thigh. “This is perfect,” she murmured. Pearl nodded, and began to fiddle with Sheena’s hair, making small braids and twists in it. It was surprisingly soft, despite the frequent bleaching and dying that Pearl knew it went through. Sheena pulled the blanket further up on herself; everything below her chin was covered by fuzzy white fabric. Pearl watched as her eyes slowly closed, felt her relax as the full weight of her head sank into her thigh. She took a sip of her tea, its warmth now feeling unsatisfying compared to the woman on her lap. She pressed a kiss to her forehead before picking up the remote and putting on a 5 hour video of a fireplace crackling and turning up the volume. She leaned into the couch, letting it cradle her back as she closed her eyes, hands cupped around her tea. A contented sigh blew from her, and she felt herself drift off into a peaceful doze.