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Looking for drabble prompts! My goal is to write one fic per month and the month is almost ending and all I've got is three half-finished fics on my googledocs. So to get my creative mind a whirlin', I'm hoping some short drabble-size fics will help kickstart my brain into action-mode
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“I don’t think I can drive anymore, babe.”
“I’m telling you, that cop back there was too busy eating donuts to care if you were speeding.”
“No, it’s my eyes. I think I just need to take a rest.”
“You okay? We’ve barely left the city.” Lauren worries a loose thread of her blouse. “We don’t have to go to the lake house if you don’t want to.”
Nadia gives her a peck on the cheek as she drops the keys in Lauren’s hand. “Just a headache. I’ll be fine.”
But when Lauren watches her in the rear view mirror she’s not smiling in her sleep.
--
“I should have known, Bo. I was the only person she had and I couldn’t see it.” Lauren’s voice is quiet and Bo can feel it against her chest before she hears it. She doesn’t stop moving her hand, stroking in long circles down Lauren’s back. Bo wishes she could grab her, bring her closer and heal her the only way she knows how.
Instead she does her best to listen, to soothe, to keep the pressure of her palm steady.
“You’re not a mind-reader. You saw the signs and did the best you could.”
“Yeah, I’m the genius that tried to find a cure for the Guruda.” Bo tried to interrupt, but Lauren continued. “I should have taken her to someone. I was stupid enough to think I could fix it myself.”
“You wanted to keep Nadia from that world. If the Ash knew, he would have locked her up.”
“This is all my fault.”
“What is?”
“I was selfish and so I pushed the Ash. He had his reasons, he knew something I didn’t but I thought my pain was more important. He traded something for me to get Nadia back. I don’t even know what it was.”
“Lauren, that’s not--”
“She was safe, Bo! She was safe and I woke her up and then...”
She does not say and then you killed her, but Bo swears she hears it echo off the walls.
--
“Nadia! What are you doing?”
Her arms are cut and bloody, glass is everywhere, shattered by her search. “Where is it? I can’t find it? It should be here!”
She sweeps the glass onto the floor, nicking her bare feet, still moving with such intensity Lauren takes a step back. “Nadia, stop!”
“Lauren?” Nadia looks up, her eyes her own again, the frenzied determination now replaced by fear and confusion. “Why am I in the kitchen?”
“You were looking for a glass. Come on, let’s go buy you some new ones. I never liked these anyway.”
If Nadia notices that the replacement cups Lauren buys are plastic, she doesn’t say anything.
--
“It should have done more.”
“Nadia was barely left by the end, she fought with all her strength for you, Lauren. But she was barely there.”
“You didn’t see her face. You left.” Bo’s hand stills momentarily, the guilt overwhelming. She had spent her whole life on the outside looking in and she had never felt like more of an outsider than next to Lauren and Nadia, like it was a private moment she was violating.
“I should have eased her suffering at least.”
Bo tries to keep her voice steady, knowing her next words would be monumentally important. “Lauren, I’m sorry.”
Bo takes a deep breath, waiting for Lauren’s reaction, but she merely sighs as if she hadn’t heard her.
“She could have just fallen asleep.”
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“Your apartment is unsafe. Look at this. It’s poison!”
Lauren walks over, keeping her smile from looking as worried as she feels. “I don’t think we’re in danger of accidentally drinking drain-o.”
“I guess I got carried away.” Nadia looks down, like she was ashamed and Lauren tipped her chin up to look at her.
“I bought your favourite yogurt....is something burning?”
“Shit.” Nadia rushes out to greet the smoking oven, laughing as she waves the smoke away. “I guess that time hasn’t improved my cooking skills.”
“It’s fine. We can order in pizza.”
“Mind if we just curl up and watch a movie with our pizza?”
“Another headache?”
“This one’s not that bad.”
“Well, tell me if it gets worse.”
The next morning Lauren notices that Nadia had carefully wrapped up the kitchen garbage and tossed it in the dumpster rather than just leaving it in the bin outside. There’s a chemical burn on the linoleum of the kitchen island in an oblong circle and she traces it with her finger.
--
“Do you want a blanket? Or the light off?”
“No.” Lauren’s voice rises and Bo tenses under her. “Don’t leave. Please.”
Bo tries to relax her muscles again, wants to be comfortable for Lauren but it’s hard when she’s so close and the instinct to protect her is so strong.
“If I fall asleep, will you still be here?”
“Of course.”
“It’s just that I keep reaching out, keep waiting for her to come around a corner or answer when I call.”
Bo gave up rubbing her back and wrapped her arms around Lauren, needing to feel her close. She leaned down to kiss her temple.
“I’m not going anywhere. Not ever.”
Lauren’s hands were clasped under her chin. She didn't move to reciprocate, but she didn’t object to Bo’s hug either.
“Good night, Bo.”
--
“Good night, Nadia”
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