we keep this love in a photograph

Chapter 38

Halloween was days later, at the end of their time in Portland, with just a couple of days left, and Jennie opened her eyes to sunlight streaming in through the curtains, faintly yellow as it struggled against the turning weather. It fell across Rosie's sleeping form beside her, limning her gold as she breathed evenly, and Jennie blinked in surprise as she pushed herself up, careful to not jostle the mattress too much as she looked at her. It was the first time in five days that Rosie hadn't woken them up from one of her bad dreams, whether by hoarse shout or sudden jerkiness, and Jennie felt the knot in her chest loosen. It wasn't much, but it was something.

She was breathing slowly, her face smooth and youthful, and Jennie was reluctant to wake her as she listened to the muffled voices and movements downstairs, signaling that everyone else was already up. It wasn't surprising, considering the sun was already up, and she basked in the opportunity to languish in bed beside Rosie while she could.

It wasn't long before Rosie stirred though, her eyelids fluttering and then parting to reveal distant brown eyes, which creased at the corners as she seemed to remember herself, where she was. Giving her a sleep smile as she fumbled on the end table for her glasses, Rosie hummed, shifting across the bed.

"Morning," she mumbled, blinking as her vision adjusted and she leaned over to kiss Jennie.

"You didn't have any nightmares last night," Jennie said with a pleased look as she cupped Rosie's face and kissed her again, slowly.

"Mm, I didn't. I guess things are settling down again," Rosie said as she trailed kisses along Jennie's jaw and down her neck.

"But ... can you still think about what I said the other day?"

"I will."

She wrinkled her nose and obligingly kissed, making her squirm as she hit a ticklish spot. Laughing as she struggled beneath Rosie's weight pinning her, she let out a yelp as Rosie's wandering hands found her ribs. A snort of breathless laughter made Jennie's words choked as she struggled to get them out, kicking her feet as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Stop, it tickles!"

In a knee-jerk reaction, she accidentally kneed Rosie in the stomach, cutting off her laughter with a sharp exhale as she found herself winded and breathless. Wincing, Jennie pushed herself up, reaching for Rosie with an apology in her brown eyes.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to do that. Are you okay?"

"Fine," Rosie faintly gasped, clutching her stomach, "just winded."

Giving her a sheepish smile as she spread her hands helplessly, Jennie let out a yelp of laughter as Rosie gave her a wicked smile and lunged for her. Scrambling to get away, Jennie's foot got caught in the bed sheets, restricting her from climbing out of bed, and momentum and gravity propelled her forward before she could shove her hands out and catch herself.

Pain lanced through her head and her vision went black for a moment as she was half in bed and half off, the blankets still ensnaring her legs. Rosie's hands were on her shoulders, the laughter dying on her lips, and as Jennie struggled up and raised a hand to her head, she realised why. Blood stained her fingertips and she blinked at it, realising she'd caught her head on the edge of the end table.

"Ow. Shit. Do you have any tissues?"

"Shit, are you okay?" Rosie asked, scrambling over the sheets and climbing out of bed to kneel on the floor at Jennie's bedside. She gently tried to pry Jennie's head off her head. "Let me see."

"It's fine," Jennie said, but even as she let Rosie pull her hand away, blood welled up and trickled down the side of her face with nothing to stifle the flow.