Chapter Text
“What part of ‘hold still’ can you not get through your thick skull?”.
“Well maybe if you stopped pulling so hard, I’d be able to-” The girl hissed and clenched her teeth, cutting her words short as you pulled the bandage on her upper right arm to a tight hold.
“If I were gentle, you’d have bled out on the floor by now. I’m almost done,” you huffed. Your efforts were just enough to slow the spreading red stain that stood out against the off-white bandage you’d fixed to the stubborn girl.
The girl across from you kept her jaw clenched and her intense gaze trained on the ground as you finished your not-so-gentle ministrations. She made a decent effort not to squirm, but the furrow of her brow was a giveaway to her discomfort. Her boot’s tapping echoed against the walls of the back alley.
“There, all done. That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”. You gathered up your supplies in your arms, spilling them unceremoniously into your large, faded leather satchel bag with a clatter.
“You’ve got one hell of a bedside manner,” the other groused.
“You wouldn’t have to deal with my ‘bedside manner’ if you quit talking with your fists, Sevika”.
The tall young woman scoffed, broad shoulders rolling back, as if to test the strength of the bandaging. “I need a drink”.
You sighed heavily. “The last thing I need right now is to carry you home injured and shitfaced”.
Sevika stood to her feet, dusting herself off before leaning back against the grimy brick wall, procuring a cigar between her scarred fingers. “Then don’t carry me”. Her lighter sparked.
You slung your leather bag over your shoulder. A silence fell between the two of you, broken only by the sound of Sevika’s sharp exhale. The familiar scent of her favorite cigar wafted around you, like a binding tie.
A few quick minutes later, she put out her cigar against her boot, and pushed off the wall. “C’mon. Let’s get a spot before the rush”.
The walk to the Last Drop was silent, save for the unpleasant ambience of the city.
You had an odd dynamic with Sevika. Your constant bickering would’ve indicated some rivalry, if it weren’t glaringly apparent how the two of you cared for each other. You acted begrudging about it, but she protected you, and you protected her, each in your own way.
Sevika nodded to the bartender as you entered the establishment side by side. You adjusted your dark cloak over your shoulders, before removing your hood respectfully. You had nothing to hide from Vander.
“Ah, the cat n’ mouser. You look a bit worse for wear, tonight. The usual, ladies?”. Vander had a warm, playful presence about him. It was essential to his profession.
Sevika nodded back at him for her usual order, avoiding eye contact, while you smiled politely, muttering a quiet “Yes please”.
While you were accustomed to a quietness between the two of you, Sevika was quieter than usual, and she was staring off a bit. You nudged her uninjured arm. “Hey. Sev,” you begun. “Must be the world’s most interesting speck on the wall, eh?”.
She grunted back at you. Typical. Vander returned a few minutes later with your drinks: a whiskey for Sevika, and a berry vodka for you. You thanked Vander politely, before taking a slow, savoring sip of the sharp, fruity liquid.
You kept your eyes closed for a moment to enjoy the lingering tartness on your tongue. When you looked back at Sevika, her glass was already empty.
It was going to be a long night.
Three hours later, you were inevitably supporting the taller woman on your shoulder as you trudged the safer backways home. Your home, that is. You didn’t trust Sevika to stay out of trouble right now. Not in the slightest.
You unlocked the front door to your dingy apartment, practically dragging her inside. She mumbled something about a mother hen. It sounded like an insult. You decided against having her repeat it, too weary for a fight, tonight.
Your cramped, cluttered apartment didn’t exactly scream “inviting”, but Sevika had long since claimed your couch as her secondary resting place. Without your assistance, she flopped down on that brownish-grey hand-me-down sofa, stretching her shoulders and back.
You subtly admired her physique, before hanging your cloak by the front door. In moments, the gruff woman was out cold, and you were gazing out your tinted kitchen window at the buzzing nightlife below.
Your modest little bed welcomed you with open arms(?) as your eyelids grew heavy. Sevika’s rough snoring across the room lulled you into a dreamless sleep.