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“Mikaelson Ranch.” The voice on the other end of the phone is flat, uninterested.
“Hi. Is this Kat Mikaelson?”
“Uh, yeah. Who’s asking?”
“This is Swann’s mother.”
“Oh, hi. Sorry.” There’s a change to her voice. She sounds closer, her tone a little more friendly. “What’s up?”
There’s rustling on the other line, then a pause. “It’s about Swann.”
Her tone gives Kat anxiety. “Swann? Is— is she okay?”
“She’s… sick. The flu, I think.” The woman sighs and it sounds like her daughter. “She’s really upset, though, and she keeps asking for you… I’m not sure how to help her. Would you talk to her?” Her mother stands in the living room, twirling the phone cord anxiously.
“Yeah,” Kat agrees quickly. “Of course.”
“Thank you… here she is.”
More shuffling, then a quiet sniffle and Swann’s shaking voice. “Kat?” She whispers, and Kat doesn’t know if she’s intentionally speaking quietly.
“Hey, Swann.” Her airy swagger radiates through the phone and Swann almost feels better. “You okay?”
“No,” she whimpers. “I don’t feel good and… I miss you.”
Kat frowns and hums sympathetically. Poor thing, she thinks. She does sound really upset.
She can hear her start to cry. She bites her lip, already scheming her route to sneak out, calculating how much trouble she’d get in if she was caught. “Swann,” she murmurs fondly. “Don’t cry. I’ll— be there soon, ok?”
She can hear the pout in Swann’s voice. “No! I don’t want to get you sick,” she says petulantly. “I have the stupid flu.”
“I don’t care about the stupid flu,” Kat smiles. “Close your eyes. I’ll see you soon.”
___
“Thank you for staying with her. Medicine’s in that cabinet,” Mrs. Holloway gestures to a cupboard in the kitchen. “Call me if you need anything, or if she gets worse, ok?”
“Okay,” Kat agrees. “I’ll take good care of her.”
Swann’s mother smiles wearily, shouldering her purse and opening the front door. “I know… bye, Kat.”
“Bye, Mrs. Holloway.”
After locking the door, Kat makes her way through the house and gets to Swann’s bedroom. Quietly, she opens the door and peeks inside.
Swann is asleep in her bed, blanket pulled up to her chin, and Kat can see how flushed she is from the doorway. She opens it further and steps inside, closer, pulse quickening with worry.
Her face is wrinkled in discomfort, brow furrowed as she mumbles incoherently in her sleep, but Kat recognizes her name in there. Red hair flows about the pillowcase haphazardly, damp and slick to her forehead with sweat.
Swann walks through familiar woods, her feet shuffling forward independently of her conscious mind. Something is driving her, directing her carefully until she gets to the clearing.
She can hear a voice, muffled and faint, calling to her, calling out her name. It sounds like…
“Kat?”
Kat stands a few feet away, blurred around the edges like a burnt photograph, the giant Abyss between them, swirling gently. “I’m here.”
Swann looks around, then down at trembling hands she doesn't recognize, covered in rings with delicate leaves painted on the skin.
“Wh—?” She tries to speak but the words die in her throat.
“Join me, Swann.” Kat walks to the edge and begins to float over the gaping purple hole. Her voice is distant, like an echo bouncing off far away walls. “Come on.”
Then, she’s gone. No scream, no thud indicating she hit the bottom. Just… gone.
Swann doesn’t think she could, wouldn’t even want to, live in a world without Kat. She jumps in without hesitation and falls quicker than Kat did.
Purple, blue, pink rush and blur together as she descends. She hears her, closer now.
“Swann,” her friend calls.
Swann closes her eyes, ready for whatever comes next.
Kat watches as Swann goes stiff, her entire body tensing beneath the blanket.
“Swann, hey,” she brushes hair back from her face, swears quietly at the heat pouring off of her. “Wake up,” Kat says, rubbing her shoulder. “You need to take something.”
Swann gasps, coughing, fever-bright green eyes opening, searching the room momentarily until Kat comes into focus.
“Kat?” Her hand fumbles clumsily as she pats along Kat’s arm, down to her hand and takes it in her sweaty one. “You’re— you’re real?”
Kat, to her relief, is warm and solid and alive beneath her fingers.
“Of course I’m real,” she lets Swann continue to hold her hand and uses the other one to stroke her cheek softly. “Your fever’s real too.” Kat pulls away, concerned. “Let me get—”
“Don’t go!” Swann begs, eyes shining, lip wobbling as she looks up pitifully. “Please… I need you.”
Kat sighs softly and takes off her boots. “Scoot over.”
She sits on the bed and Swann crawls into her lap. She strokes her hair, lets the soft red strands fall through her fingers. “You have a bad dream?”
“Yes…”
Kat smiles wryly, knowing all too well how it feels to wake up disoriented and panicked. “Wanna talk about it?”
Swann shudders beneath her. “No.”
Sympathy pools warmly in Kat’s chest. The way she shivered, viscerally reacted to whatever horror she’d seen, how small her voice sounded. “Ok…” she pauses to give her time to respond.
She doesn’t.
“I’m here…” Kat continues quietly, “if you change your mind.”
There was nothing for a minute, and just when it seemed she’d fallen asleep, Swann spoke. “Thanks,” her voice just above a scratchy whisper, “babe.”
Kat smiles, a quiet laugh spilling from her lips. She basks in the comfortable silence, the domesticity. Swann was sick, burning up with fever, and all she wanted was to be with Kat, who was more than happy to hold and care for her.
Blue eyes trail down to Swann’s face, watching her features slowly softening as she got closer to falling asleep.
Kat shifts and Swann’s eyes flutter open. She makes a quiet noise of protest. “Can you sit up? You’ll feel better if you take medicine.”
She huffs quietly. “Don’t need medicine,” she mumbles, words slurred together with fatigue. “Just you.”
Kat feels blood rush into her cheeks, scarlet. She wanted nothing more than to please Swann, but she’s obviously feverish and only medicine can help with that. “Come on, Swann. Five minutes, max. Then we can… lay down.”
Swann doesn’t move. Kat bites.
“Please?” she asks, her sweet tone making Swann meet her gaze.
Swann swallows. The puppy-dog eyes were very convincing… She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to take something. “Fine.”
Finally gifted with her permission, Kat leaves to retrieve medicine and a fresh glass of water. She thinks a cool cloth might help, so she grabs one and runs it under cold water, then wrings the extra water out. She walks carefully back to the bedroom, padding through the house in sock-covered feet.
“Hey. Got your stuff.”
Swann coughs, wet, hacking. She struggles to sit up and Kat steps closer, takes her hand and helps her upright. She coughs again, harder.
“Lean back,” Kat puts a pillow between her and the wood behind her. “Is that better?”
“Yeah,” she breathes, and Kat hears the slight wheeze in her chest.
She hands her the small medicine cup full of dark red liquid. “Here, Swann.”
“I hate that kind…” Swann mumbles, but takes the cup. “Thanks.” She drinks it and grimaces, coughs a little.
“It’s not that bad,” Kat teases. “Have some water.”
Swann carefully places her hands over Kat’s that hold the glass steady. She takes a few sip and leans back as Kat sets it on the nightstand.
“I brought this,” her voice sounds unsure and Swann looks up to see her holding a small jar of menthol balm. “Do you… want me to do it?”
Swann nods shyly and Kat swallows, suddenly nervous. She moves even closer to her and dips her fingers into the jar. Gently, she rubs the ointment onto her chest and while she does, she can feel the burning stare of Swann. She looks up, her mouth drying instantly at Swann’s eye contact. She hopes she doesn’t notice the flush she knows is obvious on her face.
“Swann…” she whispers as the sick girl leans closer. She holds her breath in anticipation of her next move. But Swann pulls away, shoves her face into her elbow to cough. Kat is snapped out of her trance, reaches over to pat her back.
“Sorry,” Swann whispers, breathless.
“Don’t be. It’s fine.”
“I feel… really gross right now.”
“You’re not gross,” Kat says through a smile. “You look cute when you’re sweaty.”
That got a small smile out of Swann. “Really?”
“Fuck yeah. I’d…” she hesitates for a second, then commits. “I’d still kiss you.”
Swann gapes, laughing softly. “No way! You’d totally get sick.”
“Not like I’d care if I got it from you,” Kat smirks. “So worth it.”
She smiles again and looks away, cheeks pink in the soft glow of the lamp. “Gross, Kat. I’d prefer if you kissed me when I was better.”
“Deal,” she agrees instantly. “I got a washcloth. Want me to… clean you up?”
Swann’s eyes widen a bit and Kat blushes. “I mean, like, your neck and stuff, perv.”
Her quiet laugh turns into a cough. “Sure…”
Kat brings the cool cloth to Swann’s forehead and her chest hitches. “Geez-o! It’s cold.”
She smiles and continues dabbing her face. Her hand moves a bit lower and Swann gasps when it brushes against her neck.
Once she’s done sponging the moisture from her skin, she sets it on the nightstand and clears her throat. “Did that help?”
Swann nods. “Thank you,” she whispers shakily.
“Lay down,” Kat brushes a red strand behind her ear. Her hand lingers on Swann’s face, and it feels like everything stills, the world stops spinning as they stare into each other’s eyes. Green eyes gaze softly back at her and Kat feels her pulse quicken.
Then, Swann pulls away and the spell is broken. She lays on her side, unblinking, still watching.
Kat stands before her, sweet concern written on her features. Swann shifts as she tries to get more comfortable, very aware of Kat’s eyes on her.
“Need anything else?”
“No… I’m okay, thanks. You really don’t have to do this, you know.” Swann looks down, picks at the skin of her nails.
“I bet your mom would beg to differ,” Kat laughs as she lays beside her. “You’re pretty sick, Swann. And you called me, remember?”
Swann blushes, giggling softly.
Kat puts her arms around her, pulls her flush against her chest. “Is this ok?”
Her eyes felt so heavy, a thick fatigue settling over her. “Perfect,” Swann exhales.
Kat smiles. “Good. Get some sleep.”
Swann relaxes, lets the soreness in her bones be dissolved by the soft mattress, the warmth from the covers, and Kat’s arms around her. She rests her head on Kat’s chest and sighs, comfortably warm with Kat’s heartbeat in her ear, the steady rhythm lulling her to sleep. It’s her favorite song.