Enlightened

Chapter Eight: Cravings

July 4th, 4:03 AM 2025.  Sheriff Toni Topaz lay awake, haunted by the knowledge that she, and only she has.  The Black Hood killer, or well ringmaster, is her secretary's best friend.  It may have only been a day, but keeping this from Cheryl was proving to be too difficult for Toni to handle.  She had to tell her.  But how?

The light skinned girl sat up and was confused as to where she was.  She looked around.  This wasn't her bedroom and this wasn't her bed.  Why was she sleeping on the floor?  The pink haired girl stood up and walked around until she found a bathroom.  She washed her face and went back to her "bed" on the floor.  This is when she realized where she was. 

Looking into the actual bed in the room, she saw a particular red head.  "Thistlehouse."  Toni thought to herself.  She'd been staying with Cheryl for the past day and would until Heather was brought to justice.  There's no way that Cheryl would be alone with that lunatic still roaming the streets. 

Everything was tinted a dark shade of red, so it was difficult for Toni to see.  As she walked back to her makeshift sleeping grounds, she slipped on a blanket and fell face first into the wood floor.  "Fuck!"  The pink haired girl exclaimed, not loudly, but loud enough to wake the sleeping beauty in the bed beside her.  Toni lay still on the floor, pain throbbing in her left wrist, hoping not to wake the red head. Too late.

"Toni?"  Cheryl said sleepily, stretching and rubbing her eyes.  The pink haired girl cursed herself silently and sat up.

"Sorry Cheryl, I just can't see shit right now and I slipped.  I didn't mean to wake you up."  Toni said holding her left wrist.  The pain wouldn't go away, but it sure wasn't broken. 

"It's fine, are you okay?"  The red head said in regards to the smaller girl holding her wrist.  Toni looked down at her wrist and then back up at Cheryl.

"Yeah, I'm good.  Just fell on it a little funny."  Toni lied.  There was no need for Cheryl to worry about her right now.  There was no need for Cheryl to worry about anything, ever.  Toni had everything under control, right?

"Cha Cha, you may be cute, but you're a horrible liar.  This is why you're a cop, not a criminal.  I can see the swelling from here.  Come with me, we'll ice it and then I'll put a bandage on it."  The red head said with a tired smile. Toni looked at her feet with a suppressed smile and slight blush on her face. Cheryl noticed this, a smile of her own growing. "Big bad Sheriff can't take a compliment? Come on, come with me to the bathroom and I'll fix you up." The red head lead her boss to the bathroom.

Toni hopped up onto the counter beside the sink and crossed her legs like a child. Cheryl went into the cabinet underneath the sink and got out the roll of tensor bandage. When she stood up, the two were about half a foot away from each other. Cheryl leaned in as she set the roll of bandage beside the smaller girl until they were mere inches away. She looked Toni in the eyes, then down at her lips, then back up at her eyes; just begging Toni to kiss her.  She didn't.

There was lust in the smaller girl's gaze. But she hadn't made a move to initiate or reciprocate anything since yesterday's events in the office. Cheryl didn't feel any regret coming from her boss. Maybe she read her wrong?

The red head pulled away quickly, not wanting to make anything awkward. "I'll go get that ice pack," Cheryl said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.  Toni saw what Cheryl was doing, and she sure as hell wanted to kiss the girl.  She just couldn't bring herself to do it until she told the red head about Heather.  She was lying to Cheryl and it killed her to do that. 

A few moments later, Cheryl walked in with the ice pack in her hand.  "Here, put this on your wrist.  Leave it there for about fine minutes.  Once the swelling has gone down I'll wrap it up."  The red head said sweetly.  The smaller girl recognized the caring tone in the larger girl's voice.  She couldn't help but smile at it.  Cheryl took a seat beside Toni on the opposite side of the sink.