(A/N): heeeeey! Hitting you all with some writing during the hiatus. This was a request soo I hope I did it justice and that you guys like it !! :) I started this when I thought Fangs was dead don’t @ me okay. I know he’s alive
Pairing: Cheryl Blossom x Toni Topaz
Warnings: nothing really?? Kinda emotional ??
Summary: Toni’s trying to deal with Fangs death and Cheryl is there to support her girl!!
The walk home is silent, the only sound coming from Toni’s boots scraping against the gravel. Cheryl’s hand remains tightly clasped in Toni’s and she rubs gentle circles against the side with her thumb. When they get home Toni immediately flops onto the couch and pulls her knees up to her chest. Cheryl pulls off her coat and hangs it by the front door.
“Hey so I was thinking for dinner we could just order in or something, I don’t really want to cook” Cheryl says from the front of the house. She turns towards Toni when she doesn’t get a response. “Babe? Is that oka..” she trails off when she sees Toni’s eyes filling with tears and she rushes over to the couch immediately. Toni’s bottom lip is trembling as tears start to fall down her cheeks.
“Today made it real.. you know?” Toni says, her voice shaking with every word. “Saying it out loud made it real. I knew he was gone but it almost felt like a dream or something till today. Now it’s reality. Fangs didn’t deserve this.
“I know the feeling.” Cheryl says as she lays her hand on Toni’s back. “So I also know there’s nothing I can say to make it better. But I’m here okay?” she tries to rub Toni’s back but the thick black material of her dress and jacket are preventing her from doing a decent job. Cheryl shifts to pull off Toni’s serpent jacket and toss it aside. When it’s out of the way Cheryl unzips Toni’s dress just enough to slip her hand under the material and rub her bare skin in soothing strokes. Toni leans into Cheryl’s touch and lets her body weight fall on to the taller girl. They sit in silence for a while as Toni’s tears fall down Cheryl’s body. “Babe… you should eat something” Cheryl says gently.
“I’m not hungry…” Toni replies trying her best to curl closer to Cheryl. “Just hold me for now”. Cheryl’s heart aches in her body and she swears it feels like it’s crumbling. She wants to take the pain away from Toni but she knows all to well that everyone has to deal with their own grief. Pulling her feet up on the couch Cheryl shifts herself into a laying position and pulls Toni on top of her. Toni settles her body between Cheryl’s legs with her head resting on her chest and her ear pressed right above her heartbeat. Cheryl runs her hands through Toni’s hair, scratching at her scalp soothingly to try and calm her.
“It’s not fair, it’s not fucking fair” Toni says against Cheryl. Her tears start to fall faster now and Cheryl’s arms tighten around the other girl’s body.
“Shh, I know baby… I know” she soothes gently as she slides her hand back under Toni’s dress to stroke her shoulders and back. They stay in that position for a while until Toni’s tears stop and her body relaxes further into Cheryl’s. When Cheryl feels Toni’s body weight press a little harder onto her and hears her breathing deepen she lets out a soft sigh. While Cheryl may not be able to soothe Toni’s pain away she hopes her dream world is happier than her reality right now.
The next couple days pass slowly and Cheryl can tell Toni is falling apart. She’s managed to get some food in her but she refuses to leave the house or see anyone else. SweetPea has come by multiple times and Toni even refuses to see him despite being her best friend. Cheryl walks upstairs into the master bedoom after sending him away once again. Toni is curled in their bed with her eyes glued to the TV.
“SweetPea is asking for you again. Maybe we can go meet him? Fresh air might be nice to help clear your head” Cheryl asks tentatively. Toni shakes her head and pulls the blanket tighter around her body. “C’mon babe, let’s try atleast”. She walks over to Toni’s side and leans down to stroke her face. Panic sets in immediately as she feels the heat radiating from her. “Toni sit up. Come here”. Cheryl sits beside Toni and wraps her arms under her armpits to pull her up which causes the blanket to fall from around her.
“Cher stop, I’m freezing” she can hear Toni’s teeth chattering and Cheryl runs her hand under Toni’s shirt to feel if the rest of her body is burning. “What?” Toni asks picking up on the concern in Cheryl’s eyes.
“Toni you’re burning up. Let me get the thermometer” she rushes into their ensuite despite Toni’s protests that’s she’s fine. When Cheryl walks back in with the thermometer Toni opens her mouth immediately knowing there’s no sense fighting Cheryl. A sigh falls from Cheryl’s lips when she reads the temperature and Toni peaks over her shoulder to see. 102. “Oh god Toni.. how are you feeling otherwise?” Cheryl asks.
“I- I don’t know… everything just kind of aches. My head hurts.” Toni responds quietly.
“We should get you to the doctor c’mon I’ll find you something to wear” Cheryl stands up abruptly and heads towards their closet.
“No… Cher please it’s not that bad. I’m fine” Toni pleads
“You’re not. What am I supposed to do?”
“You play doctor… please I just want you. I can’t face the world. Not now.” Cheryl’s heart just about shatters right then and there from the way Toni says those words.
“Fine. Fine. But if you’re not better soon you’re going. Let’s atleast get you a bath” Cheryl says while releasing a shaky breath. Cheryl leaves Toni to undress as she runs a warm bath. When Toni walks into the bathroom Cheryl stands up and scoops the shorter girl up in her arms in one smooth movement. Toni wonders for a moment how long Cheryl has been able to do that with such ease but she doesn’t question her about it. Toni’s whole body is shivering and she lets out a sigh of relief when Cheryl sets her in the warm water. Toni looks up at Cheryl as she splashes water onto her body and she can see the concern in her eyes. A small smile pulls at Toni’s lips for a brief second knowing this girl cares about her more than anything in the world.
“Cher.. I need…” Toni mumbles softly.
“What do you need baby?” She asks as she looks into Toni’s deep brown eyes.
“Can you.. come in here?” Toni drops her gaze from Cheryl’s like she’s embarrassed by the question. But she hears shifting from beside her and soon enough Cheryl is stepping into the tub while pulling her hair into a bun. She settles into the back of the tub and Toni turns onto her side and lets her body fall on to Cheryl’s bare one. Her eyes flutter shut.
“I’m here…” Cheryl practically whispers as she lays a hand on Toni’s forehead. She runs her hand through her pink strands and feels the weight of Toni’s body press a little heavier on her. “Don’t fall asleep in here baby”
“Mmm, but you’re comfortable” Toni mumbles. She presses into the curve of Cheryl’s breast and gives it a gentle kiss. Cheryl shifts under Toni’s weight into a position where she can continue to splash water over the other girl’s body to try and calm the heat it’s giving off. She runs her hands up and down the smaller girl’s body in smooth strokes. When the bath water starts to reach an uncomfortable temperature and Toni is practically asleep Cheryl decides it’s best she helps Toni back to bed. She pulls on a pair of panties and a longer shirt and then helps Toni into the same. When they crawl into bed Toni immediately settles herself against Cheryl’s body to rest her head on her shoulder and bury into her neck. Toni mumbles something as she feels an arm wrap around her tightly but before Cheryl can ask her what she said she’s drifted off to sleep.
Cheryl is woken up by Toni’s body shifting against her and the sound of her whimpers. “Toni… babe what is it?” she asks softly. Toni blinks her eyes open and they lock on to Cheryl’s instantly. Her hand is pressed to her stomach and she left out a soft groan.
“I don’t feel good…” she says slowly and tries to move herself into a sitting position.
“Do you need to throw up?” Cheryl asks already pulling the blankets off and crawling over Toni to get out of bed. She see’s Toni nod and helps her to the bathroom as quickly as possible. Toni collapses to the floor with whimpers still falling from her lips. “Shhh” Cheryl coos softly and she moves to sit beside Toni. She pulls Toni’s hair to the base of her neck and secures it with the elastic around her wrist. Instead of leaning over the toilet Toni turns towards Cheryl and reaches out for her.
“I’m scared” Toni says in a quiet voice, her head comes to rest on Cheryl’s shoulder and her breathing is getting harsher with the passing seconds. “I don’t want… I hate the feeling of…”
“I know T.T, but it’s okay. It’ll be better to let it out I promise” Cheryl coaxes gently, her hand moving to Toni’s back. Toni’s hand comes to cup her mouth and her eyes squeeze shut. “Baby it’s okay, it’s okay..” Cheryl soothes. She helps Toni shift closer to the toilet and uses her free hand to pull Toni’s away from her mouth. Within seconds Toni is leaning over the toilet bowl and emptying the contents of her stomach into it. Cheryl runs her hand up and down Toni’s back to try and soothe her. When Toni starts to dry heave Cheryl is quick to pull her into an embrace against her chest.
“Shh, take a deep breath.” Cheryl says gently as she strokes the other girl’s cheek with her thumb. Toni’s body is still radiating heat and Cheryl frowns in response. She reaches the thermometer that she left on the counter earlier and clicks a couple buttons before sliding it under Toni’s tongue. When the little numbers pop up on the screen Cheryl swears under her breath causing Toni to grab the small instrument from her hand.
“104… it’s worse” Toni mumbles gently and she feels Cheryl nod in response. “I just want to stay in your arms, please no doctor” Toni says as she curls against Cheryl’s chest and lets her eyes drift shut. Cheryl caves in to Toni and holds her tightly against her, seeing her girl this way is breaking Cheryl apart. Toni usually puts up a strong front but between Fangs death and her sickness she’s been worn down. By the time Cheryl reaches to wipe Toni’s face clean with some toilet paper she’s dozing lightly against her chest. Moving carefully she slides her arms underneath Toni’s small body and makes her way back to their bed. She tucks Toni into the blankets and hurries to the bathroom to search the cupboards. Only a couple minutes pass before she hears a small voice calling her name.
“Give me a minute love” Cheryl calls back immediately. When she finds the medicine she’s looking for she wets a facecloth and rushes back into the bedroom. She wastes no time in pouring the bright pink liquid into a measuring cup and passing it to Toni who winces in disgust when she swallows. Cheryl can’t help but giggle at her girlfriend’s response while she hands her a glass of water. As soon as Cheryl crawls into bed Toni’s is practically on top of her. She settles herself in her favourite position laying on Cheryl’s chest with her body stretched between her legs. Exhaustion is tugging at Toni’s body and she lets out a soft groan as she drifts into unconsciousness. Cheryl uses her arm that isn’t wrapped around Toni in a tight embrace to press the damp facecloth to her forehead and cheeks. If she’s being honest with herself Cheryl isn’t really sure how to break a fever on someone but she’s doing her best to cool Toni’s body down in any way she can think of. Cheryl reaches for the remote for their fan and turns it on full blast, she shivers slightly as the cold air hits her and tries to shift Toni’s body to catch the majority of the wind. Cheryl lays the cloth on Toni’s forehead and tucks it in so it won’t fall off if Cheryl drifts off to sleep.
The sound of Toni’s cry echoes in Cheryl’s ears as her eyes fly open. Toni is still laying on Cheryl’s chest and clinging to her shirt like it’s the only thing anchoring her to this world. Her whole body is trembling and Cheryl can feel her shirt getting wet from Toni’s tears. Cheryl, understanding better than anyone, picks up on Toni’s nightmare aftershocks immediately.
“Shhh, it’s just a nightmare. It’s not real, shh” Cheryl soothes gently, she wraps her arms tightly around Toni’s shoulders to pull her closer.
“Yo- you were gone… every- one gone..” Toni’s words come out in fragments between her harsh breathing.
“I’m here baby I’m here. It’s not real okay? Your mind is playing tricks on you”
“It’s real for Fangs..” Toni replies. Cheryl feels her heart drop at that response and she moves into a sitting position so she can pull Toni on to her lap. Toni’s hands slip under Cheryl’s shirt to run her hands over bare skin. “Can I take this off?” Toni asks tentatively as she tugs on Cheryl’s top. Cheryl nods in response knowing that feeling their bare skin pressed together is Toni’s method of getting them as close as possible to one another. Toni wastes no time in removing both their shirts and then settling back down against Cheryl, a soft sigh falls from her lips when their skin makes contact. The feeling of Cheryl’s fingers running through Toni’s hair is so gentle and soothing that it’s causing tears to form in her eyes and soon enough she’s sobbing against the taller girl. Cheryl’s lips are on Toni’s body within seconds pressing gentle kisses all over her head and face.
“Please don’t leave” Toni sobs against Cheryl, her whole body is shaking by now.
“Never babygirl, never” Cheryl mumbles against her. She shifts her position slightly so she can easily rub Toni’s back in circles to try and calm her. “I promise the pain will dull” Cheryl says as she lays her cheek on Toni’s head and pulls her as close as she can. Toni nods against her and buries against Cheryl’s chest trying her best to take a deep breath and calm herself.
“I love you” Toni mumbles into Cheryl, she reaches for Cheryl’s free hand and tangles their fingers together.
“I love you more than anything” Cheryl replies as she squeezes Toni’s hand gently. The air from the fan is still gliding over them and while Cheryl is practically freezing she can feel Toni’s body sweating on to hers. Cheryl lets out a sigh of relief knowing it’s the first sign of her fever breaking. “I’m gonna keep you safe forever” Cheryl tells Toni and presses another kiss to her head. She swears she feels Toni smile against her chest slightly which for now she’s counting as a win.
“Promise?” Toni asks in an almost whisper.
“I promise.” Cheryl responds as she leans over and presses a gentle kiss to her girlfriends lips.
