#perseis winters

[winterszenobia]

Zenobia tried to sit up a little straighter when Perseis came into view, like posture alone could convince the room she was fine. It didn’t quite work—she winced, then smoothed it over with a tired half-smile anyway. Classic her. “Hey,” she said softly, voice lighter than it had any right to be. “C’mere, Perseis.” Her hand lifted from the blanket, hesitant, offering instead of reaching. She swallowed, eyes flicking briefly to the floor before finding Perseis again. “I’m okay. I look worse than I feel.” A lie, delivered gently, almost kindly. She exhaled through her nose, attempting humor. “Which is saying something, because I look like I lost a fight with a staircase.” Her gaze softened then, something older and protective threading through the exhaustion. “You don’t have to fix anything,” she added quickly, like she could sense the instinct coming. “Just… sit with me for a minute, yeah? That’s more than enough.” @hxrricvnes

[winterszenobia]

Zenobia knocked once before she nudged open the door to Perseis’s place, balancing two coffees and a paper bag that smelled suspiciously like bribery. “Perseis?” she called, sing-song, stepping inside. “I come bearing offerings and zero ulterior motives… which means you should definitely be suspicious.” She found her sister at the kitchen table, half-lost in whatever she was working on. Zenobia’s face softened instantly—that familiar tug of protectiveness mixed with affection. She set the coffees down, sliding one toward her. “Hi,” she said, quieter now. “I was in the neighborhood and figured you might need caffeine or company. Or both. Mostly both.” A small grin curved her mouth. “So… mind if I crash your evening for a bit?” @hxrricvnes