...i'll take a deep, deep breath
Less Awkward, More Wet;
Coffee Shop near Campus
It was nearing midnight, on possibly the rainiest night of the year, when the clerks heard the banging. Someone standing at the door of the coffee shop, knocking on the glass door. Clara was nominated to check it out, the petite blond woman sighing as she approached the door.
She opened it while the others packed up, all the while keeping an eye on Clara, just in case. It was when the girl sighed, shaking her head and leaning back in the shop to call, “Ophelia,” that the others rolled their eyes. “It’s for you.” With a frown, the newly red-haired Ophelia grabbed her bag and made her way out, ignoring the looks and comments. She didn’t particularly get along with her work colleagues, and it didn’t bother her much either.
When she looked out the door, her frown became a surprised look, before her concern won over. “Ric,” the doe eyed idiot was bruised and scraped to hell and back, soaked to the bone from the weather and shivering like a drowned rat.
She ignored all the questions from the other girls as she stepped outside, popping her umbrella over herself and Rictor and pulling him by the arm, holding his hand as she partially dragged him to her dorm room. It was a fairly quick journey, and they didn’t get soaked any more than he already was when they got there. She turned up the heating -she’d worry about the bill later, and grabbed some towels from the small shower room she had.
Rictor stood where she’d left him, creating a small puddle in the middle of her room as he shivered and stared at the wall. Ophelia moved quickly, using one towel to dry his hair before peeling his clothes from him. The shirt came off and she noticed the strange bruises around his wrists -almost like he’d been restrained somehow, and bruises up his arms like he’d been grabbed too hard. The wife-beater style t-shirt came next and then she dried off his torso, leaving the towel around his shoulders for heat. Every move was methodical, easy and made to try and get him out of the soaking clothes while throwing them in the direction of the shower stall and she’d worry about the damp of her carpet later.
Eventually she got him out of his clothes and standing in his boxers, still shaking and shivering and staring blankly while she watched him. The boxers felt dry enough, his jeans seemingly taking most of the wet, and she manhandled him into her bed, pulling the covers over him and tucking them slightly, gathering up more sheets and another duvet from the cupboard, put there for the winter.
In the first indication that he was even aware of where he’d gone, Rictor’s hand shot out to grab her wrist as she moved away from the bed, his eyes wide and a little scared, and Ophelia’s heart almost broke for him then. He’d been mischievous and doe eyed, looking to impress her in the strangest of ways and just catch her attention. She didn’t want to admit that he had, that he made her snicker softly and smirk at his antics. But he looked so lost and scared, bundled under all her blankets and cuddled into her bed.
She kicked off her boots, shimmied out of her pants and shirt and climbed over him, still letting him hold onto her wrist while she burrowed under her blankets and shifted to lie against his back, sighing softly while she wrapped her arm around his waist as he changed his hold on her wrist and leaned back against her.
And honestly, she didn’t mind at all.
---
When she woke up in the morning, Rictor was still asleep, still clutching to her hand and she was pressed to his back, soaking up warmth and sharing it. She murmured a few things to his ear, her free hand stroking at his hair and hoping to comfort and soothe him.
The lines of his face seemed to lessen, so she continued, humming her own songs against his ear and stroking her hand through his ridiculously soft hair and thinking comforting things towards him, as if it would help. She wanted to help him balance out, to take away his fear and worry, to give him comfort and security. Pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, she withdrew her hand from the grip that had lessened on her and slowly got up from the bed, moving over to the small kitchen that was just a microwave, fridge, sink and counter. It did her fine.
When she had a cup of coffee made, she turned back towards the bed, mildly startled to see Rictor awake and staring at her. At least until she realised she was standing in her underwear and was completely comfortable with it. Smiling slightly, she padded over to the bed and crouched down. “How’re you feeling?”
He nodded slightly under all the blankets, not shivering or shaking anymore and his eyes had lost their scared appearance. She smiled gently at him. “I have to get to class soon; you can stay for a while if you want. There’s ice in the top of the fridge, plenty of hot water and some food.” She almost wanted him to stay, to stick around until after her classes finished and she got back, so that she could make sure he was alright. “You don’t look up to going to class, I’ll let one of your friends know, if you want.”
Again all she got from him was a small nod, so she pressed a kiss to his forehead and moved to get dressed for class, hoping that he’d still be there and feel better once she got back.
---
Coffee Shop near Campus
It was nearing midnight, on possibly the rainiest night of the year, when the clerks heard the banging. Someone standing at the door of the coffee shop, knocking on the glass door. Clara was nominated to check it out, the petite blond woman sighing as she approached the door.
She opened it while the others packed up, all the while keeping an eye on Clara, just in case. It was when the girl sighed, shaking her head and leaning back in the shop to call, “Ophelia,” that the others rolled their eyes. “It’s for you.” With a frown, the newly red-haired Ophelia grabbed her bag and made her way out, ignoring the looks and comments. She didn’t particularly get along with her work colleagues, and it didn’t bother her much either.
When she looked out the door, her frown became a surprised look, before her concern won over. “Ric,” the doe eyed idiot was bruised and scraped to hell and back, soaked to the bone from the weather and shivering like a drowned rat.
She ignored all the questions from the other girls as she stepped outside, popping her umbrella over herself and Rictor and pulling him by the arm, holding his hand as she partially dragged him to her dorm room. It was a fairly quick journey, and they didn’t get soaked any more than he already was when they got there. She turned up the heating -she’d worry about the bill later, and grabbed some towels from the small shower room she had.
Rictor stood where she’d left him, creating a small puddle in the middle of her room as he shivered and stared at the wall. Ophelia moved quickly, using one towel to dry his hair before peeling his clothes from him. The shirt came off and she noticed the strange bruises around his wrists -almost like he’d been restrained somehow, and bruises up his arms like he’d been grabbed too hard. The wife-beater style t-shirt came next and then she dried off his torso, leaving the towel around his shoulders for heat. Every move was methodical, easy and made to try and get him out of the soaking clothes while throwing them in the direction of the shower stall and she’d worry about the damp of her carpet later.
Eventually she got him out of his clothes and standing in his boxers, still shaking and shivering and staring blankly while she watched him. The boxers felt dry enough, his jeans seemingly taking most of the wet, and she manhandled him into her bed, pulling the covers over him and tucking them slightly, gathering up more sheets and another duvet from the cupboard, put there for the winter.
In the first indication that he was even aware of where he’d gone, Rictor’s hand shot out to grab her wrist as she moved away from the bed, his eyes wide and a little scared, and Ophelia’s heart almost broke for him then. He’d been mischievous and doe eyed, looking to impress her in the strangest of ways and just catch her attention. She didn’t want to admit that he had, that he made her snicker softly and smirk at his antics. But he looked so lost and scared, bundled under all her blankets and cuddled into her bed.
She kicked off her boots, shimmied out of her pants and shirt and climbed over him, still letting him hold onto her wrist while she burrowed under her blankets and shifted to lie against his back, sighing softly while she wrapped her arm around his waist as he changed his hold on her wrist and leaned back against her.
And honestly, she didn’t mind at all.
---
When she woke up in the morning, Rictor was still asleep, still clutching to her hand and she was pressed to his back, soaking up warmth and sharing it. She murmured a few things to his ear, her free hand stroking at his hair and hoping to comfort and soothe him.
The lines of his face seemed to lessen, so she continued, humming her own songs against his ear and stroking her hand through his ridiculously soft hair and thinking comforting things towards him, as if it would help. She wanted to help him balance out, to take away his fear and worry, to give him comfort and security. Pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, she withdrew her hand from the grip that had lessened on her and slowly got up from the bed, moving over to the small kitchen that was just a microwave, fridge, sink and counter. It did her fine.
When she had a cup of coffee made, she turned back towards the bed, mildly startled to see Rictor awake and staring at her. At least until she realised she was standing in her underwear and was completely comfortable with it. Smiling slightly, she padded over to the bed and crouched down. “How’re you feeling?”
He nodded slightly under all the blankets, not shivering or shaking anymore and his eyes had lost their scared appearance. She smiled gently at him. “I have to get to class soon; you can stay for a while if you want. There’s ice in the top of the fridge, plenty of hot water and some food.” She almost wanted him to stay, to stick around until after her classes finished and she got back, so that she could make sure he was alright. “You don’t look up to going to class, I’ll let one of your friends know, if you want.”
Again all she got from him was a small nod, so she pressed a kiss to his forehead and moved to get dressed for class, hoping that he’d still be there and feel better once she got back.
---