The headmistress’ authoritative voice quickly interrupted her. “It’s quite alright, Misty” Cordelia assured, gesturing towards the chair in front of her desk, and using the same hand to smooth over the front of her blouse as she sat. “What’s on your mind?”
“Oh, it’s nothin’ really” Misty began, slinking into the seat. “I dunno, I guess I was just wonderin’ if you wanted to maybe, uh. Go out to dinner sometime? Y’know, with me? Like… on a date?” Misty eventually managed, the skin of her face burning with embarrassment.
“Well, well,” Cordelia responded, gingerly removing her glasses and laying them to the side. “I don’t know what took you so long, Misty” she continued, meeting the Cajun’s nervous gaze with a heated one.
Suddenly, Misty shot up from her bed, sweat glistening along her collarbones. “Damn,” she muttered, and shook a leg free from where it had tangled itself amongst the bedding. It was just a dream.
Misty couldn’t count how many times she had woken herself from dreams she secretly wished were real, and each time it happened she felt a little more pathetic. She sat up slowly, and turned to eye the digital clock beside her bed. It was 2 am.
Great, she thought, looks like another sleepless night for me.
Misty begrudgingly slumped out of bed, bare feet numb from the early morning chill. Pulling a light blanket from the sheets, she crossed her arms around her chest, tugging the fabric tightly through her knuckles. She decided to head downstairs for a glass of water, maybe a bagel or two.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the unmistakable sheen from Cordelia’s silk gown swaying across the space of the kitchen as she made herself some coffee.
“‘Delia?” Misty asked, cursing under her breath at her own informality.
“Oh, Misty. Hey, I didn’t see you there,” Cordelia smiled. “Why are you up so late- or early, rather?”
“I could ask the same thing t’you, Miss Cordelia” Misty retorted with a bashful grin.
Cordelia chuckled under her breath and continued pouring the black liquid into her cup. She briefly looked up, feeling eyes at her neck, and was caught by Misty’s weary gaze. “Would you like some coffee?” Cordelia offered, raising the pot in the swamp witch’s direction.
“Nah, I didn’t have luxuries like that back at home. Thanks for offerin’, though” Misty murmured, blinking at the ground. She missed her swamp, now that she thought about it. The simple beauty of the sun rising each morning. You could still see it if you looked from the Academy windows, but it just wasn’t the same. The colours were different. “I appreciate it,” Misty added.
Cordelia’s lips twitched up into a meek smile, and she put the coffee pot down. “Would you like to take a seat, then?” she asked, gesturing to a bar stool and looking at Misty with anticipation.
Misty nodded and gave a sheepish smile as she took her seat. “So, can I ask ya why you’re up?” Misty asked, hoping she hadn’t made Cordelia uncomfortable with her inquiry.
“Oh. Well, I just--” Cordelia began, hesitating with every syllable.
“It’s alright, you don’t gotta tell me,” she quickly said. “I understand.”
“No, it’s not that,” Cordelia rushed to explain, “I don’t really know. I couldn’t sleep too well. I guess I’ve got too much on my mind.” Misty was studying Cordelia’s eyes, and knew that she wasn’t getting the full truth. She found herself transfixed when her gaze fell to Cordelia’s mouth as she spoke. Mesmerised by the pucker of the headmistress’ lip, she didn’t even notice when Cordelia had stopped talking.
“Misty?” Cordelia asked.
“Y-Yeah?” The heat beneath Misty’s cheeks was back.
“Are you alright?” Cordelia released the grip of her fingers from around her mug to gently press the backs of Misty’s fidgeting hands on the countertop. Misty gulped. Cordelia’s skin was as silky as her nightgown.
“M’fine, it’s nothin’” Misty said, averting her gaze to the clock on the wall. Twenty or so minutes had passed. She was getting increasingly conscious of her hands growing clammy under Cordelia’s touch.
“I should get goin’...” Misty said, gesturing back to the doorway, using that as an excuse to pull her hands from Cordelia’s.
“What for?” Cordelia hastily asked, looking hurt as she quickly wrapped her fingers back through the looped handle of her mug.
Misty wasn’t prepared for that comment. She didn’t expect Cordelia to object.
Misty thoughtfully worded her reply. “Back to bed, I suppose. Though I doubt I’ll be getting any sleep anytime soon,” she finished with a sigh.
“Then why don’t you stay?” Cordelia asked, immediately wondering why she was vocalising all of her thoughts. If she was going to lie to herself, it was because some company was better than none. But she knew it wasn’t just about company. It was Misty. The combination of her nerves and coffee probably didn’t help.
“Alright then, I’ll stay” Misty responded slowly, nodding her head at the end of her sentence as if to convince herself. Misty silently thanked the Lord that Cordelia wanted her to stay. Having her presence wanted was something Misty wasn’t used to. It made her stomach do double flips because she was able to forget the feel of flames, real flames, licking her cheeks. But having Cordelia want her around her elicited a sense of accomplishment she didn’t feel with anyone else.
The two women sat and spoke for hours. Misty told Cordelia about her shack, all the plants she grew there, and how pretty the painted sky was at sunrise. She didn’t usually tell strangers about her home, but then again, Cordelia was no stranger. They shared anecdotes from their very different lives and troublesome pasts until the sun eventually shone through the kitchen windows, golden beams passing over their hands. Misty didn’t notice the hours had passed until the birds were already chirping.
Ambling up the stairs at a glacial pace, Cordelia gripped at Misty’s shoulder as they ascended, her legs heavy like lead and eyes crummy with sleep. Misty leaned into her side supportingly, and turned to her at the top of the stairs. It was time to say goodnight and return to their respectable rooms.
“Goodnight, Misty” Cordelia said, hand dropping from the other woman’s shoulder and grazing against her arm.
“Night” Misty said as plainly as possible, completely aware of the contact they had shared, and watched as Cordelia walked away.
Misty jumped onto her borrowed bed and let a grin spread over her face. The clock beside her was flashing 6:00 in time with her pounding heart.
Despite not being exactly sure how she had managed to waste 4 hours talking nonsense with Cordelia, Misty was certainly glad that she had. She held her hands up in front of her face in the dark, and remembered the feel of her blood rising to a boil under the cool touch of Cordelia’s fingers, and she wondered how amazing it was that the feeling didn’t frighten her. Then again, it might’ve been the way Cordelia’s mouth kept tugging into a nervous grin. That was enough to make anyone forget time. Maybe even enough to make anyone forget their fears.
Misty's heavy eyelids fell shut as she drifted into an effortless sleep. Cordelia’s company had been therapeutic, and now she could finally catch some rest.
