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SHE MANAGES A SMALL, GENUINE SMILE. it’s a rarity for clover in her post-seizure state as usually she’s put off for at least a day, and yet clark’s gentle yet firm reassurance and the fact that clover’s suddenly realizing that clark of all people, a woman who as MARRIED to the badge, duty-driven and constantly doing something important, had stopped to take care of her and continued to stay with her in the wing. for once, she feels herself flushing.
❛ you don’t have to stay with me, you know. i’m okay. ❜ she’s still shaking so she places her hands under the covers and grins weakly. she doesn’t really mean it – all clover wants is to pull clark onto the bed with her, pull her into her arms, maybe braid her hair or something ( she’s also wanted to kiss her for merlin knows how long but reminds herself to take baby steps ) and just ignore everyone else. of course, she can’t. ❛ you’ve got duties to attend to – people to manage, castles to keep safe, asses to kick. i get it. ❜
❝ i have nowhere important to be. i was supposed to take more free time anyway. ❞ it was a lie, technically, but for the first time since she was made prefect, the idea of ordering people about doesn’t pull any hold over her. she knows if she left she’d be wondering how clover was, and there was only so many excuses one can use to pop into the hospital wing every hour ( though, with a brother like hers, it’s not an idea out of the realms of normality. ) ❝ just get some rest. ❞ she makes the tiniest movement, like she wants to smooth down clover’s pillow ( or maybe try to tame her hair ), but she decides against it and instead shifts to sit down in the small armchair beside the bed and accios’ a book from her bag, settling down. she doesn’t know what to do with the urge to touch clover, so thinks that it’s probably best to distract her hands with something else. ( she’s always been jealous of naturally tactile people, but never more so than in this moment. ) ❝ if you need to sleep, you can. i’m going to stay until you feel better enough to move and then escort you to your nest class or your common room. ❞
