Chapter Text
"Its so beautiful here," Maya squeezed Carina's hands as they weaved through the tight streets of Catania, "I'm so glad we managed to do this."
"Mmm."
"Happy anniversary," it was like the tenth time Maya had said it that day but she just couldn't help feeling excited about it.
"Happy anniversary," Carina returned the had squeeze three times in an 'I love you' signal.
"Your aunt said it was up here," Maya points to a road sign, "vee-yuh nin-oh mont no mart-ie-gol-ie-oh."
"Via nine martoglio." Carina corrected.
"I'm so hungry, are you?"
"Mmhmm."
"Are you okay?" Maya pulled them to one side of the narrow street where Carina's aunt had reassured them they could get the best pasta in Catania.
"Just a bit jet lagged," Carina said, punctuating her statement with a yawn.
"We can do this another time," Maya told her, making sure she maintained eye contact, "we're here for a week and the hotel had amazing room service. It's been a long day. And your aunt was lovely but I'm sure it was a lot. She brought up Andrew a lot."
"Its okay."
"Yeah?"
"Mmm."
"Okay," Maya stood on tiptoe to kiss Carina's cheek, her wife was in wedged sandles whilst she was just in a pair of converse. "Its just up here." Carina knew exactly where it was, as she'd worked in a café three doors down when she was 14. And Maya seemed to have it right from her Aunt's hand drawn map.
Maya was almost pulling her down the road, though clearly kept remembering and dropping back into stride next to her. "This is it! Is this it?" She looked at the paper.
"This is it," she looked up at the sign with a genuine smile.
"La Bella Lucia," Maya read then looked down at her wife, "wait, Lucia, the, la Bella Lucia?"
"Sì, Andrea and I used to joke it was made for our Mamma. And on reflection maybe it was," the hanging wooden sign above it had a painting of the back of a woman's head with cascading wavy brown hair, hair that looked similar to hers. Hair that she remembered her Mamma having.
"Come on!" Maya was now positively vibrating next to her.
"Allora, Ciao," she said as she pulled Maya in. "Un tavolo per due. E un'acqua per la tavola per iniziare."
"Sì, sì. dovunque tu voglia."
"Anywhere you want," she said lowly to Maya, who was grinning with joy at listening to her girlfriend speak Italian.
"Here," she picked a booth seat to the edge of the restaurant, "per fevore," she looked at the waiter.
"Brava."
"Sì. I tuoi menù."
"Grazie."
In the beautiful setting of the restaurant and Maya's amazement and wonder bleeding into the joyful atmosphere it wasn't hard for Carina to forget she wasn't feeling great. Maya marvelled in her translating items on the menu she thought her wife would like. And grinned wildly when Maya used broken Italian to order her own food, pasta alla Norma.
"I love you," Maya picked her hand up from the table, using her elbow as a pivot point. She laid it gently on Carina's cheek, and stroked her thumb over her cheek bone that was rosy under her hand. Maya frowned, it was warm touch and had her moving her hand up to Carina's forehead. She laid her palm there and then flipped to the back of her hand whilst raising her other to her own forehead for a comparison. "You're a bit warm," Maya said, returning her hand to her wife's cheek, "are you feeling alright?"
"Mmhmm," Carina nuzzled her cheek into Maya's hand, "its just warm in here."
"It is," she continued the gentle caress, "I feel closer to your Mom in here."
"You're sweet," Carina's hand settled on top of Maya's, "are you having a good time," she pulled Maya’s hand onto the table.
"Yeah, oh," her eyes lit up, "this looks amazing." The waiter had put down some bread and olive oil and balsamic vinegar between them.
"Its literally just olio, balsamico e pane," Carina laughed, reaching back over to squeeze Maya's hand, "I love you, I really love you."
"I love you too," Maya reached over and squeezed her chin lightly before encouraging it forward with a kiss.
"Are you saving yourself for pasta?" Maya asked, her hand hovering over the olive oil, with what was her fourth piece of bread.
"Mmhmm," she hummed in reply, as Maya looked down to continue her dipping. She looked up as Carina shifted forward in her seat.
"Okay?" Maya ran her foot up and down Carina's leg in a soothing motion. She could tell something was bothering her wife, ever since the starter arrived she had been fidgeting and her wife wasn't one to fidget generally.
"Yeah-"
"You're not," it was gentle, Maya moved the plate slightly away and her hand took up residence in Carina's, "you keep shifting and leaning forward. And you're picking," she pointed at the half eaten slice of bread. "What's wrong?" She ran her thumb over Carina's knuckles, "do we need to go?"
"I'm just uncomfortable," Carina shifted again.
"Is it where I chose to sit? We can move, I'm sure they wouldn't mind." Maya looked around the restaurant, they were one of three couples and whilst it was a small place there were still another four or five tables available. "Or is it too emotional. Or, they're not homophobic?"
"No," Carina sighed, "no my pants are uncomfortable."
Maya glanced under the table at her wife's lower half then resurfaced. She stood abruptly and held out her hand, "let's go to the restroom."
"No, its okay."
"Come on," Maya kissed the top of her head. Carina stood and held Maya's hand as she led them back to the little bathroom at the back of the restaurant. It was a gender neutral one that was nice and spacious. Maya closed and locked the door behind them and stepped over to where Carina was just stood in the centre of the room, a decidedly confused look on her face.
"Maya." Carina groaned when her wife's hand started undoing the button on her trousers. "I love you but I'm not in the mood, not here."
"What? No," her eyes went wide, "no, no no. No, I didn't mean, look," she flopped the edges of the zip down and said, "not so uncomfortable now, right?"
Carina put her hand on her stomach and nodded, "but I'm not going to be able to do them back up- what are you doing?" Her wife was stripping in front of her the linen shorts she was wearing being pulled off as she stared.
"We're swapping, these have elastic," she showed Carina the back of the shorts which were elasticated, "and they're bigger in general, obviously," she held them out, for her wife, "plus they'll sit under your tummy. Give it a break."
"But that won't look right with this," she gestured to the top she was wearing, it had almost bunched up with how her stomach was.
"That's why," Maya pulled the top she was wearing over her head "we'll swap tops too. You can leave it untucked so you wouldn't even need to do the shorts up if you wanted."
"This wasn't like this when I was getting changed" Carina mumbled, rubbing her stomach. It had completely bloated in the hour since she had had a shower and changed to come out. Her trousers had fit comfortably, if a little loose and her top had been flat.
"Do you have a tummy ache?" Maya asked, stepping into Carina's trousers which were a little long and a little tight but a small sacrifice to make for a comfortable wife.
"No," Carina pouted, "you look adorable,"
"Nice to know we're a couple that can do both," Maya laughed, "I thought you looked sexy in this, sexy and sophisticated and you're saying adorable."
"They don't fit you," Carina laughed pointing at the rolling job Maya had had to donto reveal her converse and ensure she didn't trip over.
"Come on, get dressed," Maya held up her former outfit.
Carina stood for a few more moments enjoying the freedom her stomach had. Whatever had gone on her stomach felt like it had quadrupled in size and was protruding out in front of her where there hadn't even been a hint of bloat before. "Is it trapped wind?" Maya asked, as Carina stepped into the shorts and pushed them under her stomach.
"I don't know," she held her hands up for Maya to pull the top over her head, "it feels better now."
"So other than being super bloated," Maya took her wife's face in her hands, "you feel okay. Not sick or anything? We don't need to walk back?"
"I feel okay," she confirmed, kissing Maya, "thanks bambina."
"No problem, come on, I bet our pasta will be here."
"Sì."
Maya held her hand back to the table and kissed the top of her head once they were sat. "Tell me if we need to leave," Maya said sweetly, squeezing her hand.
Carina nodded, "I love you."
"I love you too, Italy is beautiful."
"You've only seen from the airport to here and five streets."
"Yeah but it's so much nicer than Seattle," Maya pointed out.
"I think Seattle's beautiful."
"Maybe it's difficult to see the beauty in a place you've grown up in?" Maya suggested.
"Oh no I definitely think Italy is beautiful, I was just saying you haven't even seen the best."
Maya grinned, excited for ten days of exploring where her wife grew up. "Oooh pasta!"
"Maya," Carina laughed.
"Not as good as yours," Maya said through a mouthful of spaghetti.
Carina smiled back, looking down at her food, which now it was in front of her she really didn't fancy. Carina who was only feeling a little jet lagged had selected Pasta ai frutti di mare because she was home. However a giant prawn looking at her and several mussels scattered around a huge bowl of pasta was a bit much for present time Carina. She avoided the seafood and twirled some pasta around her fork every so often, eating it very slowly. She used her other hand, when Maya wasnt holding it, to hold her stomach. Maya must have definitely noticed but didn't say anything until the waiter came to take their plates.
"Non era buono?" He asked looking at Carina's full plate.
"No, non si sente bene," Maya answered before Carina could, "il conto?"
"Sì."
Maya pulled Carina up whilst they waited for the bill. "Your tummy?"
"Mmm," she put her head on Maya's shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Maya put a protective hand on it and moved her thumb up and down.
"Ah, congratulazioni." The waiter said seeing Maya's hand on Carina's stomach, "I understand," he said with a nod.
"Thank you," Maya decided to keep things simple and hoped the man wouldn't ask any other questions.
"Fourty-eight."
"Grazie."
"Do I look pregnant?" Carina asked seriously, as they started the walk back.
"No, but he doesn't know us and I had my hand on your stomach, no, you look fine," Maya squeezed her hand.
"I don't like how I can feel it bubbling."
"Are you feeling nauseous?"
"No, just like I have no appetite."
"Hopefully it's just gas from the pressure changes from the flight. Aeroplanes really mess with your tummy." Maya said wisely.
"It doesn't even hurt."
"Ah you poor thing, come on," she brought their joined hands to her lips, "let's get all cuddled up in our giant bed."
"Its is particularly big," Carina said. They were staying in the grand Hotel which was something she and her friends had always discussed wanting to do growing up. "Straight couples must not like cuddling."
Maya laughed loudly, "well yeah men are terrible cuddlers in my experience." This had Carina laughing and feeling just a little less unwell for a moment.
Carina laid face down on the bed as soon as they got into the room. She quickly turned onto her side, at the realisation sleeping on her front, as she often did wasn't very comfortable on her bloated stomach. "Do you want some pyjamas?" Maya asked, combing her hair off her face for her. Even with the walk home in the cool air her wife's face was flushed.
"Just a vest," she mumbled, making no effort to take Maya's clothes off. Maya made light work of granting this request and then tucked the covers around her.
"I know you don't feel sick," she said, "but I'm putting this here just in case," she put the champagne bucket on the floor near Carina's head, having dumped out what ice remained.
"Its churning under my hand."
"Sweetheart," Maya kissed her temple, which was definitely feeling warm.
"Cuddle."
"Coming babe," Maya pulled a pair of boy shorts and a top on and climbed in behind Carina.
Carina pulled Maya’s hand onto her stomach and said, "tell me I'm not crazy and you can feel it churning."
"Doesn't feel happy," she lifted her hand to Carina's forehead, "you've got a temperature too."
"I'm just going to try and sleep and see if I feel better."
"Yeah, good plan, Babe." Maya nuzzled her nose against the back of her neck, "you'll feel better soon."
In the quiet of the room Maya could hear her wife's stomach gurgle every so often and just kissed her neck or shoulder every time, thumb stroking Carina's knuckles as she started to feel heavier in her arms. It was only 9pm local time but she was feeling the effect of jetlag too. Just as she was drifting off herself she felt Carina tense against her.
"Everything okay? You've just gone really tense," Maya asked, quietly in case it had happened in her wife's sleep.
"I've just become suddenly sick to my stomach," Carina answered, holding her stomach, "Ow. Ow ow. Oh god. Ow."
"Anything I can d-oh," the champagne bucket luckily caught most of it. "Okay babe," Maya ran her hand up and down Carina's back, the brunette still laying on her side. She put her hand on Carina's stomach.
"Stop, it hur-" Carina was again incapacitated.
Maya hadn't expected it to be this quickly that her wife became ill, even though the bloated stomach and the fever had been sure signs. She put her hand back on Carina forehead, as she coughed again bringing more stuff up. "Ooh baby, you poor thing," she said gently.
"I missed a little," she sniffed.
"I'm gonna run you a bath and call housekeeping, is it all up?"
"For now," she nodded.
"Okay," she carried on rubbing Carina's back as she dialled the number for reception, "Ciao, my wife isn't very well. Could we have a change of sheet and some soap and water and a carpet cleaner?" She asked assessing the situation, as Carina turned and curled up on her lap. "I know, I know," she said quietly, teasing her scalp, "you'll feel better."
"Er, sick," Maya answered, "vomit."
"I'm sorry."
"Its okay," Maya mumbled, "house keeping? Honestly it's no trouble I can clean it. Are you sure? Great thank you."
"Can I run you a bath, will that help?"
"Mmhmm."
"Okay," Maya gently lifted her off and put her pillow under Carina's head, as the other was dirty. "That's impressive," Maya mumbled, "you really mustn't have felt well," Maya commented.
"Maya."
"Okay," Maya drew Carina up a nice bubbly bath, it was probably a little hotter than it should have been considering she had a temperature but Carina liked hot baths. And Maya thought it would soothe her stomach. "Here we go," she carried Carina over to the bathroom and sat her on the toilet, removing her vest and underwear, "I'm just going to sort the room out a little, I'll be right back," she said once Carina was sat in the deep bath.
She went back and stripped the entire bed spread, balling it up. She opened both balcony doors to air the room out and carried the bucket to the bathroom, flushing the contents and cleaning it out before sticking it next to the bath for Carina who looked like she might be asleep. "Babe?" Maya grazed her cheek with her knuckle.
"Hmm?"
"Can I wash your hair?"
"No."
"I have to," Maya corrected herself, "there's sick in it."
"There is?"
"Yeah, babe, no don't cry sweetheart, we'll sort it, oh, one second," she had just heard a knock on the door. She grabbed a robe from behind the door, covering her sick covered shorts. "Ciao, I'm so sorry about this," she said to the worker.
"It happens."
"I have stripped the bed," she pointed to the pile.
"You want to sit in the lobby?"
"My wife," she pointed to the bathroom, "I'll be in here."
"Okay."
"Hey babe," Maya said quietly, "let's get you sorted," she removed her own clothes, grabbed Carina's wash bag and climbed into the bath behind her, "how's that tummy?"
"Big and painful."
"I'm sorry," she kissed her shoulder.
"I'm sorry."
"Hey its okay, I like looking after you. I don't like that you don't feel well but now I get to have a bath with my hot wife and look after her sick stomach."
"I ruined our anniversary," she sniffed.
"You haven't, look, a couple of days not feeling tip top and then you'll be back to yourself. Our anniversary is all week. It's just some day."
"Can you wash my hair?"
"I absolutely can."
By the time Maya had cleaned them both up, dried them off and dressed them back in a robe each the housecleaning was nearly done. "Can I have some bags?" Maya asked, thinking ahead.
"Yes, just take," she waved to the cart, "I will leave you a cleaner."
"Thank you so much," Maya pulled a bottle from the mini fridge, as they collected the last of the cleaning supplies.
"No problem. Ciao."
"Ciao."
"Bed time babe?"
"Yeah."
"Come on then, sickie, time to rest."