Chapter Text
Elizabeth was rummaging through the walk-in closet that the three shared. It was a no-brainer to get it when they collectively decided that they were ready for that next step. Living together, in a home they owned...
Not the point. Why was Elizabeth rummaging through their shared space? Well, something was misplaced. Her arm sleeve. The one that helps with the shooting pins and needles she felt throughout her left arm… usually, she doesn’t need it, but this day in particular, it has been acting up.
“My girl, are you good? You’ve been searching in the closet for five minutes now,” Shiori asks, leaning in. Has it really been that long?
Elizabeth sighs and sits on the floor. “Apologies, dear, it seems I misplaced my sleeve.”
The Archiver’s eyes widen a tad, and her hands move quickly, taking Liz’s left hand into hers.”I see, well… I’m sure it’ll come up. Where did you put it last?”
The Scarlet Queen smiles at the gesture, feeling Shiori’s fingers gently press and prod at her arm as a means to soothe her. Ever the silent caretaker, this one.
Liz looks over the mess she’s made. It truly wasn’t here, but where could it have gone? Last time she had it…“Hm… I believe I wore it while training yesterday.”
“Then it’s probably in the dryer,” Shiori points out. Liz blinks. “Right! Laundry day.”
The Archiver giggles at Liz’s exclamation, pressing a soft kiss on her shoulder. “You know… You could’ve just asked me to massage your arm.”
Elizabeth caresses her two-toned hair gently with a soft smile. “Apologies, dear, it slipped my mind.”
Shiori doesn’t fail to notice how the Queen’s hand faltered for a moment in her hair, and her voice slightly wavered as if regretting the words she spoke the moment they tumbled out of her mouth. This girl...
“Liar,” Shiori grins. “But I’ll forgive you this time because you’re pretty, you hero complex haver you,”
“I can’t ever keep my secrets around you, can I?” Liz muses with a sigh, enjoying the other’s soft massage up her arm, easing the stiffness that settled deep in her bones. She smiles knowingly, cooing at the taller one. “Well, don’t make yourself so easy to read then,”
A soft chuckle comes from Elizabeth as she watches the archiver do her magic. Shiori’s eyes glow a striking gold hue as her hands work to ease the pain in Liz’s arms. The Scarlet Queen hums a soft tune, a song Shiori was vaguely familiar with but didn’t bother to ask. She watches Liz’s arm like a hawk, watching as the curse wrapping it finally stops pulsing with activity, feeling satisfied by the relieved sigh Liz let out.
Just then, Nerissa comes in, a basket of their clothes held to her side. “What are you two-” her eyes wide, she drops the basket with a clack to the ground and hugs Liz’s other side. “-I knew I should’ve done the laundry earlier!”
“Oh, love, it’s alright, really,” Elizabeth pecks the distressed bird’s cheek. “Shiori’s already got me covered, see? It hurts a lot less now, I promise,”
Nerissa pouts; she was never a big fan of the Queen belittling her own pain, though it seems she does so often. “Oh yeah? Do you think you can lift me and Shiori right now?”
Liz raises a brow and opens her mouth to say something before Shiori cuts her off. “Nope, you are not threatening another flare up, I just got it to settle down again,”
“Girls, please. I’m perfectly fine now. Heck, thanks to that wonderful massage, I doubt I need the sleeve anymore!” Liz soothes them both, wrapping her arms around them. “Here, watch!”
“Woah- wai-” The archiver managed to yelp out before getting lifted off the floor by Liz, followed by Nerissa’s squeal as they both land on their girlfriend’s strong shoulders. Elizabeth laughs joyously at their reactions and walks to their bed, carrying them as if they weighed nothing, and gently tosses them towards the pile of pillows.
“DOMESTIC!” Nerissa cried out before giggling.
“Domestic?! What do you mean- Oh, you cheeky…” Elizabeth chuckles as she goes over to the demon and goes to lift her, but her arm buckles from a searing pain that has her reeling. Nerissa falls back to the bed, face quickly shifting to concern as her Queen crumbles against her arm.
“I told you so~” Shiori coos, taking the arm gently into her hands once more, eyes glowing. The demon whines in distress, feeling helpless as she watches their lover taking quick action to the Queen’s pain, “Liz, are you sure you don’t want me to get your sleeve for you?”
Elizabeth takes a moment to recover, mind reeling at the searing pulse of the invisible curse wrapped around her arm, the pain peaking for a moment before going back to its normal dull ache. Despite this, the Scarlet Queen smiles, yet there are signs of a grimace that she can’t quite shake. “I’m alright, it’s just particularly bad today,”
“It doesn’t help that you won't let it rest, you know,” The Archiver frowns a little, her hands massaging the tense arm, watching as the pulse of dark energy slowly subsides in activity yet lingers in a way that hasn’t happened before. “It’s getting worse, just to let you know,”
“…yeah, I know, I feel it,” Liz nods, acknowledging the danger it poses despite that, she is quick to gently bump her forehead against her lover. “But I also know… you’ll find a way to cure it, I’ve seen you working your butt off “
Shiori shrugs, “Your curse isn’t simple, ERB, it’s like multiple stacked on each other, the gods really fudged you up, I can only suppress it, make it less… hurty.”
“Nope, I think we’ll cure it fully one day,” Nerissa states confidently, cuddling up to Liz’s other side. “Because our lovely Shiorin can do it,”
Shiori’s nose scrunches a little as Rissa boops it, and she shakes her head, “Alright, you two, no need to rizz me up again, you’ve already caught me.”
“Guess I should tell the gods to rescind my punishment if I’ve caught you, leader of Advent,” Liz teases, wrapping an arm around the Archiver’s waist. Shiori raises her brow playfully. “Ohoho, I see you played the long game, miss Harbinger of Order, even courted me with a dozen black roses and everything! So convincing,”
Nerissa pouts, “Stop flirting in front of me!”
Liz snorts out a laugh at that and lets go of Shiori so that she can flank their pretty bird. The archiver happily holds Nerissa from behind before teasing. “Such a needy bird,”
“I can’t help iiiittt, you two are so cute togetherrrr,” Nerissa whines and sobs as she gets fluttered with kisses on both sides.
Liz smiles before pulling away for a moment, rustling the pillows as she lies down, only to wince when her arm twists the wrong way. Nerissa gently eases her back into a more comfortable position, the demon gently pushing her down to nuzzle into her chest. The Queen’s flame flickers to her shoulder to accommodate. Shiori follows shortly after, placing her head on top of Demon’s head, being careful not to lean on her broken horn.
“I’ll cure it,” Shiori mutters, yellow eyes staring at scarlet. Liz gives her a confident smile. “I know you will,”