Suselle Oneshots: Between "The Closet" and "The Dorm"

Angst/Fluff: Hot and Cold

*Floorboards creaked. Susie shrank into her cot, trying to escape the noise. Her fingers were cold, so, so cold. Where's the fire? 

*The cold is gone. It's burning, burning, burning. Turn it off! she screams. Go away!

*He's there. He won't go away. He's burning, scalding. Too hot, it hurts!

*She cries out for help.

*But nobody came.

*It won't stop. It won't go away. Hands in her hair, pulling. Hands on her face, scraping. Hands on her clothes, pulling.

*Too much, too much!

*Go away!

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"Go away!" Susie's body jolted up, heart pounding. Her throat burned. Her hand grabbed at her neck, trying to calm down.

Hands were on her. On her back. On her neck. On her lap. Too much. Too much. Get off, go away, get away, please get away.

She shoved, blinded. The girl fell away from her.

"Susie?" Her voice cut through the noise. She looked up.

There she was. Noelle was right there. Right in front of her. Warm, not hot. Cool, not cold. Susie flung herself into the girl in front of her, burying her head in the warmth of her shoulder and hair. A hand made its way gently back to Susie's back. Gently rubbing. Warming, cooling, calming, soothing.

Her breath slowed. It evened. Her muscles, hot, tight, wound up, released, cooling down, giving up friction for peace.

"It was just another nightmare," Susie breathed. "It was so much, all at once, everywhere, and I couldn't get out. Nobody would help me. I... I don't think anyone was there. Nobody heard me screaming."

Noelle soothed her hands over Susie's neck and shoulders. "Do you want a blanket? You're shaking."

Susie shook her head. "Can... can we go downstairs? And sit in front of the fire? I think I need it."

She nodded. Gently taking Susie by the hand, Noelle led her downstairs. A quick twist of a dial turned on the fireplace. Early morning rays peeked through the window, washing the room in a cool grey light, softly contrasted with the warmth of the bright orange fire.

Noelle wrapped Susie in a blanket in front of the hearth before going to the kitchen, coming back a few minutes later with two mugs in her hands. One was candy cane striped filled with hot chocolate, the other a soft purple with a chunky handle and filled with dark coffee. She handed the coffee to her lover before curling up next to her. "I figured we wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, so might as well have our morning drinks now."

Her fingers burned against the heat of the mug. It didn't hurt. It enticed, it sparked. The cool ground underneath Susie calmed her legs while the burning heat of the mug relaxed her hands.

"I was back there." Susie stared out the window. The earliest birds were starting to peck around. "He was there. It was so cold, and he was burning hot. I wanted to be warm, but not like that. It burned me. I couldn't move. I couldn't run. There was nowhere to go and nobody to help me. I kept yelling, kept calling for help, but... but nobody came."

Noelle snuggled into her side. "I'm so sorry, love. That sounds awful." Susie shrugged.

"Had worse."

Her girlfriend nodded. "I know, but it doesn't make this any less terrible. You're allowed to feel bad after having a nightmare even if it isn't the worst you've had." She paused. "I'm always here, love."

Susie gave a small smile before taking a sip of her coffee. Still too hot, too burning. Too much. So she put it down. She leaned over and rested her head on Noelle's. It was awkward figuring out, with her antlers and all, but they soon got it. Susie let out a breath. Her body flooded with a soft warmth.

"I know. I'm trying to let myself feel okay with feeling... not okay."

Things felt right. The cool morning air. The warm heat from the fire. Noelle next to her. It was all just as it should be. It created the perfect medium. Tingly heat spread through her fingers and all the way down to her toes. Despite the coffee now running through her body, Susie felt herself begin to drift back into sleep.

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That's how Mayor Holiday found them an hour later—slumped into each other in front of the fireplace, both drinks now cold.

"How strange," she mused to herself. She shrugged it off before turning off the fireplace and putting another blanket on the lovers. "Ah, well. Stay warm. It's going to be a chilly morning."

And yet, if Susie had been awake, I don't think she could have possibly disagreed any more.

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Word Count: 760

Author's Note: This one-shot was just an excuse to write a bunch of imagery and symbolism lol. Tried something different with this one. I hope y'all enjoyed! If anyone has a one-shot they would like to read, requests are in the first chapter!