a/n: kitty arlecchino is real because sheâs good at hiding her pain and it just so happens reader knows how she is when she is in pain so ha! take that kittycchino
cw: reader and arlecchino are wrecked by their period, hurt/comfort, h*mework...
In Life, Crimson Raptures
Arlecchino prides herself as a strict and unfeeling âFatherâ. The type of person who would not wear a smile over a silly joke, flinch over a small prick of pain, or in this case, hunch over in pain as one of the more irritating cramps hit her lower abdomen. Unfortunately, that wasnât the case for this certain day, on her second day of her wretched cycle. After landing a punch on the last of the goons she had to eliminate, Arlecchino nearly stumbles towards a nearby tree, panting and leaning on the trunk as she feels another set of imaginary needles hit her stomach. She hisses after leaning her weight on the tree with her arm, her curse coming up to flare up at the worst time as well. Her wrist aches as if it would fall off her arm as fire raged in her blood, pricking every bit of nerve she had in her cursed limbs. Not to mention, her heels were already starting to pinch her toes and a few stray anguished wails resound in her head, adding more to her misery. The distressed harbinger had half a mind to hit the tree she was leaning on, however she could imagine you scolding her ear off if she did. Sighing, she forces herself to walk back towards the city of Fontaine, willing her mind to focus on being able to see you instead. Hopefully, you would be there to give her well-deserved comfort and ample cuddlingâ no, just the bed for her to lie on and drift off to sleep so she can ignore all her aches and pains until the next day.
You, on the other hand, were also fighting for your life to keep it together as your lower abdomen waged war within itself and the younger children were squabbling over something while you were tutoring them on their homework. Before you could mediate, they broke into a fight, which also tested your patience to the moon and added another pinch to your blaring headache. The kids were already behind in their homework, and with their Father about to come home, time was pinched. You have a chance now to help them finish it up and cover up their procrastination, and yetâŠ
âYou little- this wouldnât happen if you didnât invite us to play outside!â One boy screeched to another child.
âNo, youâre stupid! I was only joking! You didnât have to take it seriously, you idiot! You could have done your homework before you went to play with me!âÂ
Before you could warn them, you already heard the front door of the hotel open up followed by the clack of metal heels youâve come to be familiar with. Hearing the footsteps about to approach the study, you immediately start to break apart the two children arguing as an attempt to have them straighten up, but-
âChildren, your Father-â
âAnd what is this squabbling about, children?â
The two brothers arguing fell silent as they felt chills run down their spine from that familiar stern and irritated voice. They pull off each other and quietly turn back to their homework, quickly writing down the answers they already knew to put in. Before your husband could say another word, you stand up and give her a stern glance, giving her a signal to stop whatever lecture she was planning. Mildly annoyed, Arlecchino signalled you to get out of the study with her and you followed, closing up the door behind you.Â
âWhat was that about? I will not have my children turn against each other over something as little as homework,â Arlecchino hissed, although her words lost most of their bite when she wrapped her very sore arm around your waist. You were quick to pull her arm off gently, already catching her being in pain.Â
âI guess youâre not any better than me, honey. Unbelievable, we have it at the same time this month,â you grumble, opening your bedroom door for her. Arlecchino kicks off her heels by the door and you bend down by the shoe rack to hand her bedroom slippers.Â
âIâm fine, darling, I can do that myself-â
There you both lay in bed, wallowing in misery together with hot compresses over your stomach. Once you felt your cramps subside, you sit up a bit to see the slight furrow on Arlecchinoâs brow and how she bit her lip down, facing away from you to obviously hide her pain from you. However, at this point of view, she almost looked pitiful. You were already used to her trying to dismiss your attempts to coddle her when she was in a considerable amount of pain, but this time, you couldnât bring yourself to ignore how your husband was dealing with her monthly cycle and her curse at the same time. By how she was quieter than usual, you could already surmise she was quite aggrieved.
Arlecchino felt two hands pull her back by the waist followed by your nose tickling her nape. She tenses up at being caught off-guard, but once she feels your hand massage her lower stomach, the distressed harbinger relaxes.Â
âItâs alright, honey. Itâs just me,â you murmur, giving her a kiss on her neck. âI can only imagine the pain youâre in with your curse, but I know how this one feels like.â
â...You donât have to do this, sweetheart.âÂ
âI want to, Peruere. Can you let me make you feel better?â
The way you know when to say her name, that soothed a bit of the raging fire in Arlecchinoâs body. Despite that, the flame continues to prick her every nerve, the screams and haunting images of those she has vanquished continue to plague her. Still, she canât ignore the feel of your embrace, your hand idly running down her arm and your cheek on her back. Your husband still put up quite the fight against a harmless nap as you had to soothe her a few more times whenever she slipped in a light slumber and gruesome memories resurface in her dreams. Lucky for you, your period cramps had already calmed down, so you could fully comfort her with added patience. Eventually, you feel her breathing slow down and deepen, her feverish skin feeling normal again under your palm. Perhaps this is what it felt like to finally calm down a hurt Peruere.Â
