How She Came Home

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Halloween was days later, at the end of their time in Midvale, with just a couple of days left, and Becca opened her eyes to sunlight streaming in through the curtains, faintly yellow as it struggled against the turning weather.

It fell across Freen's sleeping form beside her, limning her gold as she breathed evenly, and Becca 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 Freen hadn't woken them up from one of her bad dreams, whether by hoarse shout or sudden jerkiness, and Becca 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 Becca 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 Freen while she could.

It wasn't long before Freen 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, Freen hummed, shifting across the bed.

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

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

"Mm, I didn't. I guess things are settling down again," Freen said as she trailed kisses along Becca'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 Freen's weight pinning her, she let out a yelp as Freen's wandering hands found her ribs.

A snort of breathless laughter made Becca'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 Freen in the stomach, cutting off her laughter with a sharp exhale as she found herself winded and breathless. Wincing, Becca pushed herself up, reaching for Freen with an apology in her green eyes.

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

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

Giving her a sheepish smile as she spread her hands helplessly, Becca let out a yelp of laughter as Freen gave her a wicked smile and lunged for her. Scrambling to get away, Becca'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.

Freen's hands were on her shoulders, the laughter dying on her lips, and as Becca struggled up and raised a hand to her head, she realized why. Blood stained her fingertips and she blinked at it, realizing she'd caught her head on the edge of the end table.

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

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