Florecer

Awkward Reconciliations

        Something warm slipped to Lily's eyebrow and she frowned, touching the liquid there. Her fingertip came away red. She inwardly cursed Tracy for throwing the damn keys so hard. But she had more important things to attend to. She was at June's front door, trying to catch her breath. She had run from the car, which she stupidly parked a few houses down, fell, and then sprinted the rest of the way. Now June was staring strangely at her. She swallowed and tried not to appear as foolish as she felt.

     "Can I come in?" she asked.

     June eyes watched the blood for a moment. Then she stepped back dumbly and allowed Lily entrance. "What... What are you doing here?" Okay, so she wasn't drunk, she figured out. But that didn't make the situation any less strange. "And what happened to you?"

     Lily chuckled nervously. The house was dark and it made her seem as though she didn't belong. "Oh, erm, Tracy."

     "She hit you?"

     "No, that's not- look, that doesn't even matter."

     "It doesn't?"

     "No. I came here tonight because... because..." Lily wiped her forehead with her forearm. Her nerve was crumbling rapidly.

     "Here," June whispered, gently taking Lily to the bathroom. "Let's take care of that first."

     Butterflies sprung up in Lily's stomach. She followed quietly, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, and didn't fight at all when she was pushed down to sit on the lid of the toilet. She pressed her knees together, hands stuck between her thighs. Her eyes followed as June found a first aid kit and opened it carefully. June unwrapped a wet wipe then stepped close and brought it to dab at Lily's forehead. Lily's lids drifted shut as a careful knuckle lifted her chin.

     The scent of wine wafted from June's mouth and Lily inhaled. It wasn't strong, but it wasn't all that weak either. If June was drunk or buzzed, Lily thought, she was hiding it well with how sober she was acting. Then again, June could always hold her alcohol. Lily only hoped that the late night drinking was simply June being June and not something more sinister.

     Lily's forehead was thankfully not too bad. It didn't require stitches so June simply slapped a bandage on it and smoothed it down with a thumb. There were scuffs and a little dirt on Lily face from what she assumed was the fall she had heard so she got started on cleaning that. She moistened a small towel then started to diligently wipe. Underneath the dirt were a few scrapes, but nothing serious. A little antibacterial cream and they'd be just fine.

     The cleaning was a slow process, one that neither women attempted to speed up. June was gentle and leisurely in her movements while Lily kept her head tilted back and breathed deeply as though she were receiving a relaxing massage. It was an intimate scene that didn't cease. June put down the dirty towel then squeezed a drop of antibacterial cream onto her fingertip. She painted Lily's scrapes over with it, using light strokes. She cradled Lily's face with her free hand without meaning to and finished up the way she usually did when Christina was hurt- she dabbed her finger over the last scrape she touched and smiled softly, murmuring, "All better." She quickly realized what she had done, noticed how close she was to Lily, felt the way she was holding onto Lily's face, and blushed fiercely.

     But she didn't let go or move away. Stranger things were happening thanks to the late hour and unusual situation. More importantly, those things weren't going to be stopped by anything.

     Cheeks heating, Lily refused to blink in case June somehow disappeared. The soft heat of June's hand on her was calming. Then June plucked a piece of grass out of her hair and let it fall to the floor. She didn't dare move as June tucked her hair behind an ear and held both sides of her face lovingly. And she certainly didn't say a word when June shifted closer.