Work Text:
Her knuckles hit the door twice, thrice, a rapid succession of taps. Hand taken back, she absentmindedly played with the bell at the end of her cap’s right tail. It jingled softly between her fingers as she twisted the fabric it hung from. The silence from within the room broke with the soft hint of a shuffle. Then, a voice.
“Yeah? Who is it?”
Still raspy around the edges, still tired, but a little brighter than yesterday. And there at all. She smiled to herself, starting her own sentence with a small breath.
“It’s Pomni.”
A moment of pause. And then, the click of the lock. Reaching for the knob, Pomni opened the door into the room. The vibrant abstracted eyes all turned to look at her, a tired yet hopeful weariness to their unrelenting gaze. The thick black legs of Jax's lower half pawed the ground impatiently. Pomni stared softly into the eyes.
“Were you waiting for me?”
A soft snicker rang out from above her, and Pomni looked up to meet Jax's gaze. Sitting atop the quadruped body was Jax's upper half, her torso and abdomen sprouting from where the abstraction's neck would sit. Her face looked similarly weary, but despite this her smile curled around the edges.
“Why? Were you waiting for me?”
“Hmm… maybe,” Pomni said. Jax padded back to give her space as she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.
“What do you mean, ‘maybe'?”
“Depends.”
Jax snickered again.
“On what?”
Pomni smirked.
“Well, were you waiting for me?”
Jax cackled, ears bobbing as she tilted her head back, the neckline of her baggy shirt slipping further down onto her shoulder. Pomni's smile couldn't help but soften. She had missed that laugh for so long.
As Jax got a hold on herself, Pomni stepped around to Jax's bed. The old bed had been moved out a while ago to make room for her current body. A soft nest of mattresses, pillows, and blankets sat in its place, a controlled chaos strewn with soft quilts and the rare stuffed toy. A small, worn, frog beanie baby was tucked into the corner next to an old star projector, spinning lights onto the walls and ceiling that dazzled in the spaces between the fading glow-in-the-dark stickers. In the dim light of the room, it was the brightest thing save for the clusters of eyes on Jax's lower half.
“How was physical therapy?” She asked, making a spot for herself. Jax trotted over, pushing aside pillows with her feet. Planting her legs, she brought her arms above her and stretched, both backs arching. Her shirt rode up a touch, exposing the soft stomach she had started to gain. Pomni stared without even noticing. Jax glanced down as she finished her stretch, grinning at Pomni's gaze. She tucked her legs beneath her as she laid down.
“Eh. S'alright. Kinger made me do a move that did something so hard I think I saw shrimp colors.”
Pomni snorted.
“Is that a good thing?”
Jax shrugged exaggeratedly.
“Earned me a juicebox.”
She shifted around in her nest, getting comfortable as she yawned.
“Heh, who knew therapy would be exhausting?”
Pomni chuckled, then suddenly sat up.
“Oh, hold on!”
She darted out of the bedding, standing squarely in the middle of the room. Taking a deep breath, she shook her arms out as she shut her eyes. Focus. Think about what you want, but not too hard. She imagined herself in her pajamas, an old tshirt and pj pants. Steady, steady. After a few moments of pause, she snapped her fingers. She could feel as the clothing on her body shifted and changed, the fabric rippling against her skin. Becoming… stiffer?
She opened her eyes to a full formal suit, complete with dress shoes and a tie. Jax howled with laughter, grabbing her sides.
“Hey!” Pomni huffed, “I'm still getting the hang of this! Caine makes it look easy!” Shaking out her hand, she tried to tune out Jax's laughter as she closed her eyes once more. Going through her process again, she snapped her fingers. The clothes this time felt much softer. She opened her eyes to her pjs.
“See? I got it!”
Jax wiped tears out of her eyes, tapering off into raspy giggles.
“Hmmm…. I don't know. I think you should've kept the suit.”
Pomni sauntered over, flopping back down into the soft nest.
“Why? Did I look good in it?”
“Nah, I just wanted to see you sleep funny in it.”
She laughed, hitting Jax playfully. They had had this routine for some time now. When she first started recovering, Jax barely slept, and when she did it was fitful and wrought with nightmares. She'd been stubborn about it until one evening. They'd been watching a movie together, and Jax just… fell asleep on top of her. It was the first time she’d slept through the night since it happened. Of course, she told Pomni that it'd never happen again. Forget that it happened all together. And then a few nights later, there came a knock on Pomni's door. Quiet, quick, easy to miss. But it was there.
Suddenly, Jax wrapped her hands around Pomni's waist. Pomni squeaked as she was hoisted into the air. Jax giggled. Holding Pomni above her head, she reared back on her hind legs and fell, flopping onto her backs into a pile of cushions and blankets. Jax pulled Pomni to her chest, the jester's head squarely over her heart. Pomni's laugh rose to join hers as they wrapped their arms around each other.
“I thought I told you to warn me next time!” Pomni said. The thin glitchy lashes of the eyes on Jax's lower half brushed against her legs as they closed half-lidded. Jax pushed her hand into Pomni's hair, playing with the short strands.
“But where's the fun in that?” She said, grinning. “Besides, you're cute when you squeal~”
“Jax!”
“What? I thought you said I should be honest with my feelings!”
Pomni laughed again, playfully hitting Jax's arm. She could feel the rabbit's heartbeat thumping steadily beneath her. Alive. Alive and willing to live. After everything, still beating. She hoped it would never stop.
Jax sighed beneath her. Pomni could feel her relax, and she could feel herself relax alongside her. The sound machine in the corner chugged quietly along, filling the room with the soft melody of rain. She gazed up at Jax. The rabbit's eyes were quickly closing as she stared up at the twinkling stars shifting across the ceiling.
“Hey, Jax?” Pomni spoke softly. Jax yawned.
“Yeah?”
“You wanna go down to the beach tomorrow?”
Jax was quiet for a moment, deliberating.
“Only if I can bring my water guns.”
Pomni chuckled, shutting her eyes.
“Sure."