Meetings of the Vampires and Demons (One shot #5)
(Author's note: @viacircusm4ster here is the monster AU chapter for PaperTiger. I didn't write it how I wrote the other chapters for ships because... idk I just kept running out of ideas so i decided to write this fic that is inspired by a drawing of them i did a while ago :] But this will be posted on AO3 with the rest of the monster au one shots, and I focus a lot of Tigress's thoughts in this one) (Also I use this one shot as an excuse to mention my oc Surgeon sooo yeah)
Sheena had been injured during her latest caper and exposed to direct sunlight, making the situation even worse.
The left side of her face and chest burned and ached every time she tried to move. Her hands were red and blistered.
She assumed she landed wrong on her left leg, since her joint popped and cracked whenever she moved it.
Sheena had been sent to her supervisor to recover, as the contract between the vampireâs and VILE states.Â
It wasnât all bad, she supposed. Cookie Booker happened to be her supervisor, so Sheena was recovering in luxury that for certain. Even though she hasnât exactly had the opportunity to leave her room.
She had already been there for about a day and her only visitors had been Cookie, and VILEâs medical doctor, Surgeon. If you asked Sheena her code name was a bit on the nose.
But Surgeon just happened to be the other supervisor for the vampires, and she and Cookie bicker in a way only two people forced to be around each other for years could.Â
If Sheena wasnât in so much pain she wouldâve found it entertaining.Â
Sheena opened her eyes hesitantly, her left eye still burned and her vision was blurry. She had only been in the sunlight for a few seconds but the damage was extensive.Â
It slowed down her natural healing process, if she hadnât been exposed to sunlight her leg and other cuts and bruises would have been healed by now.
Typical, Sheen thought, first Carmen Sandiego shows up to ruin her caper, and she gets benched for the next two weeks.Â
She glances around the room the best she could. It was dark, just how she liked it, and the bed was comfortable and warm.
If her body wasnât aching and burning she would have appreciated the fact that this is the first real bed she had laid in in months.
With a groan, she turned over to see the alarm clock, it was maybe 7 am, but Sheena couldnât be sure.
That would explain why the house felt so quiet.
From what she could see the room was filled with antique furniture, handmade and well taken care of it seemed.
The room reminded her of her childhood home. Not exactly to the same scale and detail, but similar enough.
For a moment Sheena thought something was wrong with her eyes because the room became much darker.
A thick heavy darkness that chilled her to her bone. She could barely see anything through it.
âHey, kittycat,â a familiar voice graced her ears.
She quickly looked above her, her skin burning painfully in the process.
Directly in front of her was Paper Star looming over her.
Sheena blinked her eyes a few times, trying to figure out if she was dreaming.
âLooks like you got tossed around a bit.â Paper Star said with a smile.
âWha-â Sheena was quickly cut off by a dry cough.
âWow, that sounds rough,â She remarked, standing next to the bed now.
Sheena groaned mostly out of pain but also out of annoyance.
âHow did you even get in here?â She questioned her voice, weak and hoarse.
âNot that hard if you travel through shadows,â Paper Star replied. Sheena looked her up and down at that statement, she was unconvinced.Â
Paper Star crossed her arms over her chest and sighed soundlessly.
âOkay, fine,â She pouted. âLady Dokuso forced me to come with her.â
Sheena tried her best to nod.
âBut Iâve been here for a few hours,â She continued. âPretty much everyone else is asleep now.â
âSo you came to bug the injured woman?â Sheena arched her brow.
âYeah, pretty much.â Paper Star smiled, before turning her attention to the old bookshelf on the wall next to her. âI got kind of bored.â
Sheena didnât really feel like talking to anyone in her current state, but once Paper Star was there itâs hard getting rid of her. She turned her head more to see what Paper Star was doing, only to wince from the pain.
She quickly turned her head to face Sheena, who continued to groan in pain as she readjusted herself.
Despite the darkness and her blurry vision, Sheena could very clearly make out the shine of Paper Starâs irises.Â
âI thought you were faking at first,â She turned her full attention back towards Sheena.
âWhy would I be faking this much?â Sheen snapped a bit.
âI donât know,â Paper Star trailed off. âMaybe to get out of work for a bit.â
There was a pause as Sheena tried to prevent any more unnecessary movements.Â
âSunligh hurts, Paper StarâŠâ Sheena wheezed.
âWell, I can see that now!â Paper Star exclaimed, throwing her arms up in defeat.
Sheena just sighed, but it sounded more like a dying breath if anything. She really needed rest, she could barely keep her eyes open anymore.Â
She never understood why sheâd put herself through so much just to talk to Paper Star sometimes.Â
But sometimes, when it was late and she hadnât slept in a while, sheâd remember why talking to Paper Star was so important to her.Â
She had openly admitted it to herself a while back.
Sheena had some sort of stupid crush on Paper Star for a while now. Despite all the headaches she could cause, she managed to charm Sheena.
âDid she do this to you?â The question came as a shock to Sheena, she looked up to see Paper Star closer to her bedside.
It had broken the silence that had settled between them, and at first Sheena wasnât sure if she was going to answer.
âTechnically, I guess,â Sheena huffed. âShe made me land wrong and I fell.â
Paper Star hummed in response and for a moment she just glanced over Sheena, noting every injury and burn.
âHowâd you make it out without getting caught?â She asked, her head slightly tilted.
âJean Paul,â Sheena replied, still struggling to keep herself fully awake. âI got myself out of the sun, but he got us both out of there before any authorities arrived.â
She nodded as she carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, staying away from Sheena's injured side.
âI thought cats were supposed to land on their feet,â She giggled.
Sheena just huffed and looked back up at the ceiling.
âAw, come on, kittycat,â Paper Star cooed. âDonât be so uptight.â
Kittycat, Sheena scoffed. That nickname was annoying at first, but now it just made the vampire feel flustered.
Especially when she said it like that.
âDonât call me that,â Sheena grumbled, but it came out sounding more like a whine.
âDonât call you what?â Paper Star asked, playing dumb as she inched a bit closer to Sheena.
If Sheena had enough strength she could reach out and pull Paper Star down with her, or push her off the bed.
Sheena couldnât decide which one she wanted to do.
âYou know what.â Sheena growled.
âMmm, I really don't, sorry kittycat,â Paper Star said a wide smile spread across her face.
âDonât call me that!â Sheena was thankful the room was so dark now, she felt blush creep onto her cheeks. âDonât call me kittycat.â
âAww, but youâre so cute and pathetic looking, like a kittycat,â Paper Star teased. âEspecially right now.â
Oh, she was laying it on thick today.
Paper Star always had a tendency to mask teasing as flirting.
Or maybe it was the other way around.
Sheena hasnât exactly figured that out yet.
âWhatever,â Sheena grumbled.
She felt Paper Starâs eyes still on her.
The same way a predator may watch its prey.
Admittedly Sheena wasnât used to being the prey in this situation.
But finally a longer silence fell between, and all Sheena really wanted to do was sleep.
âHey,â Paper Star whispered.
Sheena didnât respond at first, she was too tired.
Her eyes shot open and she looked over at Paper Star.
She hardly ever called her by her real name.
âWhat?â Sheena asked, still a little shocked by the sudden use of her real name.
âCan I stay here?â Paper Star whispered, leaning down on her arm to get closer to Sheena. âLike in the room with you.â
âWhy?â Sheena questioned.
Sheâs only seen Paper Star act like this a handful of times.
She wasnât the type to show her real emotions so freely. Which is something Sheena could understand.
âYou seem like you could use the company,â Paper Star said slyly.
Sheena just stared at her blankly.
âAndâŠâ Paper Star trailed off. âSomeone has to make sure you donât do something stupid and hurt yourself again.â
Sheena was still not totally convinced, but she wasnât really opposed to having Paper Star keep her company.
âFine,â Sheena sighed. âBut Iâm not moving over because it hurts to move.â
âI can make do,â Paper Star replied.
Before Sheena could say anything else, Paper Star was pressed up against her uninjured side. She was careful not to touch any of Sheenaâs burn marks or to move her around too much.
Paper Star ducked her head down a bit so her horns wouldnât accidentally stab Sheena in her sleep.
They had shared a bed before, hell they had particularly laid on top of each other before.
But this time something was⊠different. Their relationship as of late was already complicated and unclear, but it felt like something shifted.
Sheena couldnât pinpoint what that was exactly. She was too tired anyway.
Paper Star didnât speak after that, she just laid her head on Sheenaâs chest, listening to her wheezing lungs and unsteady heart beat.
A short while after, Sheena fell back asleep, hoping that some of the pain would subside the next day.
And secretly hoping that Paper Star would be there when she wakes up.
