29 from the kiss prompt :3c
Funnily enough, I actually had something like this already written in my notes app :3
@kammyclues Clue, Sew, and Chief belong to him :3
'As a promise'
How long had it been since defeating Samson and dismantling Team Stella? A few days? Time seemed to hold no meaning. The trio had been avoiding as much public facing and declining appearances as much as possible (with Clue having to be particularly forceful on some occasions when people were getting overly pushy about it). Rachel had always felt bad for that - people wanted answers, after all - but she had told them everything relevant that was necessary for the public to know.
Everything else… she would rather not have shared to the public. They were still processing the trauma of it all and the restless and fitful nights filled with lingering terror did not help in the slightest. Rachel even needed to postpone Pokédex completion just to avoid being seen in public.
Arguably, the person between them who had suffered the worst was Zinnia… and none of them could blame her for it. What she went through was far more harrowing and disturbing - and, pertinently - violating than what either Clue or Rachel did… there was not single night thus far that she hadn’t woken up in a cold sweat.
They all suffered from nightmares of different kinds - all because of Samson. The first night, Zinnia had fallen asleep in the spare chaise lounge that was in their room, Rachel gently putting her sweater over her and (as inconspicuously as possible to avoid waking her) kissing her forehead.
Her feelings were real… she made them real. Nobody wanted to talk about what happened, though, but Rachel couldn’t blame anyone for that either. It was horrific…
But she knew what she felt, now. Nothing would change it. She knew that.
Every night, Rachel stayed vigil to keep an eye on Zinnia as she slept now that all three of them were sharing a room together. Much to Clue’s insistence otherwise, she continued the habit of staying awake so that she could rush in if Zinnia needed her… and, though she wouldn’t admit it, try to avoid sleeping and having another horrid nightmare.
Ever since the first night that Zinnia had tried to sleep in her own room, Clue rushing to her after having a nightmare of his own and needing to see her to soothe himself, the three of them shared a room.
Rachel bristled when she saw just how rattled Zinnia was. She hated what Samson had done to her… he used her fangs as a weapon against Rachel, the very person she had tucked them away for, by hypnotizing her into a wild and feral beast driven by rage and bloodlust - the false image of her he created to satisfy his own ego and need to be the sole authority on reality itself.
He reduced a mighty, powerful, fierce, and passionate woman… into a frightened and scared creature too terrified to pull off the muzzle he put her in.
That angered her more than anything, more than almost being killed with a fire escape axe… to watch that monster twist Zinnia’s very identity into something so wretched and cruel that she was terrified to even inhabit her own skin… the fact that he forced the woman that she loved to become everything she was not just because he couldn’t stand to be challenged in any way.
At least he would be dealt with by the authorities… he would rot for everything he had done and he would never hurt anyone again.
He would never hurt Zinnia again.
Thankfully, Sew and Chief both stayed up with Rachel. Sew was also interested in making sure the party slept adequately and Chief’s job was to defend the colony, and that included Zinnia. If he could stand guard and help her feel safe after what happened, then it was no cost to him.
Rachel had Cedric in her lap as usual as she read a book she had taken with her from home - ironically, a book about the link between dreams and Psychic and Ghost-type Pokémon - just so she could keep an eye on Zinnia in her peripheral. Chief stationed himself by her bedside while Sew was lying across the chaise lounge in the room.
She had since gotten used to reading with one arm. Her bicep had now grown in up to the elbow, shrivelled and gangly though it was - like an elongated angry raisin more than healthy flesh - though she supposed that the scars on her abdomen and lower back healed back the same way, too.
Still… it felt weird. It felt wrong, which was why she kept her left arm covered most of the time, these days.
It was two in the morning by the time Cedric’s ear twitched, the Zorua glancing in Zinnia’s direction which caught Rachel’s attention. For the past few days, it had been like clockwork. Every night, she would start having a nightmare at two in the morning. So far, every time without fail, she would wake up and flinch away from Rachel, curling up and covering herself… and it broke her heart. But she never let that deter her… more than anything, Zinnia needed to realize that Rachel still trusted her and wasn’t afraid of her.
It didn’t take long before Zinnia’s eyebrows scrunched together, baring her teeth in her sleep as she started to twitch and shift. Small whimpers escaped her, causing Chief to sigh softly through his snout at the poor woman.
Rachel couldn’t bear seeing her that way, slipping a bookmark into the page and closing the book with one hand, sliding out of her sheets and rummaging around in her bag. The teeth woven into the bracelet Zinnia had made for her clacked against the zipper, making Rachel wince. She couldn’t imagine how horrible Zinnia felt having her own body used against her like that… forced to break the promise she had made to Rachel - that her fangs would never be used against her.
No… she didn’t break any promise. It wasn’t her. But she got Zinnia back, the woman she had gotten to know and love. She might be afraid now, but at least she was her. No labour was too much to pay so long as that stayed true.
Reaching into her bag, Rachel pulled out her stuffed toy that she had kept ever since Cynthia brought it with her to the hospital. She could still see the seams where her grandmother had sewn the Buneary Pokédoll back together. Velvet has certainly seen better days, but he was still here, broken and damaged and loved all the same.
A fitting item of comfort for this occasion.
Silently walking towards her, whimpering protests in her sleep as she tossed and curled in on herself, Rachel softly and carefully slipped Velvet into her arms and pressed him against Zinnia’s chest under the sheets. They had been tossed about and slightly unmade, exposing her slightly. Though at first, Zinnia didn’t seem to notice, her hands touched the soft object and she began to instinctively curl around it, holding it with an arm as Rachel pulled her hand away.
But just as she extricated herself, Zinnia’s hand suddenly lurched and grabbed a hold of Rachel’s tightly, causing the one-armed woman to freeze in place out of concern for a moment. She stared intensely, waiting to see if Zinnia would wake up in fear.
Yet, she didn’t… for the first time in days, she didn’t wake up. She actually seemed to relax, her grip loosening as she curled in on the toy, burying her face into it subconsciously. Finally, some shred of peace for Zinnia… finally, Rachel could have some hope that she would improve and slowly get better.
Awash with relief, Rachel gently kneeled down beside Zinnia, holding her hand in hers with the back of it against her cheek. Zinnia still whimpered slightly in her sleep, but her face was more relaxed and her movement no longer erratic and lurching. It made Rachel’s heart ache so much to see her like this. Her chest fluttered when Zinnia was aglow with the brightest joy and now it tightened painfully to see her suffer like this…
If there was any degree of denial before, there was nary a shred now. Rachel loved Zinnia and she loved her so very deeply. Though none of them felt comfortable bringing up the incident, Rachel didn’t regret making her true feelings known then… even if she did pass out from blood loss immediately after.
She had nearly confessed properly as such the first night while Zinnia was falling asleep, but Rachel didn’t mind that she wasn’t awake to hear it… thinking back, considering what Zinnia been through now and up until now, to hear Rachel confess those feelings would only frighten her more… maybe even to the point of driving her away.
And, in some small way, Rachel felt a bit selfish… she didn’t want to give Zinnia any reason to flee, to leave her out of fear… she didn’t want her to disappear.
Gently, turning her head, Rachel gingerly placed a few feather light kisses on each of Zinnia’s knuckles. She was a coward for this, but it was only in these moments when Zinnia was asleep when she felt comfortable enough to be able to truly express what she felt… how much Zinnia meant to her. She couldn’t help but sigh looking at her as she slowly began to sink into the bed, her nightmare finally seeming to have been abated. It doesn’t matter what happens to you… what you’ve done or what’s been done to you. At your best and at your worst, at your happiest and at your lowest… I will love you all the same. I will care about you all the same… even if you can’t find a reason to be loved, I will love you anyways in dividends… I promise. That’s the choice I made… and I will make it over and over and over again every day whether you believe you deserve it or not…
Getting up and letting go of Zinnia’s hand, Rachel reached to pull the covers back over her and tuck her in properly, the weight of it seeming to soothe her further as she hummed into it. Finally… a night where Zinnia could sleep peacefully. That was more than Rachel could have ever hoped for, admiring the interlude of calm on the Draconid woman’s face as Rachel brushed her black hair out of her eyes, sighing softly at her. You really did steal my heart… but I don’t want it back. It’s yours, now. And in the meantime… I’ll do everything I can to help you repair yours. Even if you’re still too afraid to give it to me… I’m okay with that. Everything I give is given freely to you… but you don’t have to do the same. This is what I want… that’s all the reason I need to care.
Leaning forward with a soft smile, Rachel gently kissed the space on Zinnia’s forehead where her bangs were parted for her. She didn’t even stir, but that was a huge relief for Rachel… it meant that she didn’t have to worry, this time.
Getting up, Rachel let out a small yawn, catching Sew’s attention as she sat up a bit from her seat, the Leavanny shaking her head at her. “Is she sleeping alright…?” She whispered softly, being mindful of Zinnia as to not wake her.
Looking over the sleeping figure one last time, Rachel nodded. “For once, I think so…”
Smiling warmly, Sew sat up properly, approaching Rachel as she settled back into bed. If Zinnia was able to sleep alright, then maybe they could all finally sleep better, too. “Do you want me to put you to sleep, then?”
Cuddling up with Cedric and setting her book on her nightstand, Rachel nodded and snuggled her face into her pillow, breathing evenly. She felt comfortable enough to try and properly sleep now that she was able to soothe Zinnia for once… maybe this could be a turning point for all of them.
The quiet calm notes of Grass Whistle very quickly lulled both Rachel and Cedric to sleep, leaving one other member in the room still awake aside from Grimm, though he didn’t need to sleep, so he didn’t need to be knocked out.
Glancing at the other mantis Pokémon, Chief snorted. Rachel might be more comfortable now, but he couldn’t be sure. “Give me more time… just to be sure.”
Shaking her head, Sew sat back on the chaise lounge where she had been sitting before, languidly watching Zinnia’s sleeping form while nodding off herself. Of course Chief would protest. “If you’re still awake when the sun comes up, I won’t forgive you.”
Snorting quietly in mild amusement, Chief affectionately rolled his eyes at her as he remained vigil by Zinnia’s bedside. She was probably alright, but he just wanted to make sure so that he could sleep easy… “I know.”
