WOULD YOU RESCUE ME?

62.Stubbornness

Astra tightened her grip around Vanessa's waist, every step they took feeling like a battle against gravity. The dorm loomed ahead, but the walk felt impossibly long. Astra's emerald eyes flicked down to Vanessa, catching the grimace she tried to hide each time she shifted her weight. The protective anger bubbling inside her was barely restrained.

"You're really not going to the hospital?" Astra asked again, her voice a mixture of exasperation and concern.

Vanessa shook her head, her honey-brown eyes meeting Astra's briefly before she looked away. "No hospitals," she said, her voice firm but strained. "I just need to get into bed. I'll be fine."

Astra let out a sharp breath, frustration evident in her tone. "Van, you're not fine. You're barely standing, and your ribs... he punched you right where you were already injured. What if it's worse than you think?"

Vanessa's jaw tightened, her pace slowing as they reached the dorm building's entrance. "It's not worse," she muttered, fishing her keys from her pocket with trembling fingers. 

Astra's temper flared at that. "You don't get to say that like it's nothing!" she snapped, stepping back slightly but still keeping a hand on Vanessa's arm to steady her. "This isn't just some minor bruise, Van. He knew where to hit you. Everyone knows about your accident, it was practically the headline of the year. And now you're standing here, pretending like this is normal, like nothing happened!"

Vanessa winced, not from Astra's words but from the effort of trying to fit her key into the lock. Her hand shook as she tried to steady it, her breath coming in short gasps. "It's not worth making a scene over, okay?" she said, her tone defensive but exhausted. "I just want to get inside."

But her grip faltered, and the key slipped from her fingers, clattering to the floor. Vanessa bent to retrieve it, but the moment she tried to straighten, her body gave out. She slumped back against the door, sliding to the ground in a slow, defeated motion.

"Vanessa!" Astra exclaimed, kneeling beside her in an instant. Her hands hovered for a moment, unsure whether to pull Vanessa up or leave her be. "Are you okay? Van, talk to me."

Vanessa leaned her head back against the door, a weak, humorless chuckle escaping her lips. "Honestly?" she said, her tone dripping with forced levity. "The floor's actually not so bad. Cool, solid... kind of comfy, really."

Astra's heart clenched at the sound of Vanessa's irony, knowing all too well that it was her girlfriend's go-to armor for pain she didn't want to acknowledge. Astra's hands found Vanessa's, gripping them tightly as her own emotions overwhelmed her. A single tear escaped, rolling down her cheek before she could stop it.

Vanessa noticed immediately. "Hey," she murmured, her voice softening. She lifted a trembling hand to Astra's face, brushing the tear away with her thumb. "Don't cry, babe. I'm okay. See? Still breathing."

Astra's lips quivered as she met Vanessa's gaze, her emerald eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Stop saying that," she whispered, her voice breaking. "You're not okay, Van. You're hurting, and you won't let anyone help you, like you always do. That's not okay."

Vanessa's expression shifted, guilt flickering across her face. She leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Astra's lips. It was gentle, an unspoken apology wrapped in the warmth of her touch. When she pulled back, her forehead rested against Astra's, and she sighed deeply. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Astra closed her eyes for a moment, letting the closeness ground her. "Then let me help you," she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please."

Vanessa exhaled slowly, her resistance wavering as she looked at Astra's tear-streaked face. "Okay," she said softly. "Help me inside. No hospitals, tho."