Room 311: Back From Work

[Claire McKenna]

"No, it's fine," Claire says, "I'm fine. You can stay here. It's a big bed."

Claire's bed was the standard issue twin sized university bed. It was pretty much impossible to sleep on it with someone without pressing against them, something Claire was quickly discovering.

Hand placement was also an awkward problem to solve.

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria, meanwhile, was dozing again, and aside from idly wondering what her face was pressed against, the small bed didn't bother her at all.

[Claire McKenna]

Çlaire just lay there for a while, watching Victoria sleep with an unreadable expression.

For just a brief moment, Claire's hands touch Victoria's bare legs. Sliding up to just where the girl's skirt covers.

Her skin's so cold...

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria sighed happily, shifting a little closer, her arm draping over Claire for lack of anywhere else to put it.

[Claire McKenna]

Claire's hands retreat in surprise, Victoria pressing up against her.

Her heart hammered in her chest, her body temperature rising by five or so degrees.

[Victoria Valentine]

With no blanket, that actually felt good. Victoria sighed again, huddling in a little more for the warmth, then falling still.

[Claire McKenna]

Claire tries to settle in to a comfortable position, ending up with her hand around Victoria's waist.

That left the problem of what to do with her other hand.

Hesitantly, Claire put it on Victoria's hip. Slowly it inched upward, making it's way up Victoria's torso over the course of the a good hour.

[Victoria Valentine]

She evidently hit a ticklish spot, as Victoria giggled in her sleep and shifted a little.

Incidentally, she discovered that Victoria apparently didn't have a need for bras on a daily basis.

[Claire McKenna]

Claire freezes, not moving an inch.

[Victoria Valentine]

And Victoria just kept dozing, letting out a happy sigh, evidently not upset by this in the least.

[Claire McKenna]

Claire hesitates, not really sure how much farther she should take this.

What am I doing...

[Victoria Valentine]

And as Claire debated this, Victoria shifted. Her nose brushed against Claire's neck, innocently enough, as she pressed in. Not so innocently, her hand slid lower to Claire's bottom.

[Claire McKenna]

Claire let's out a sudden squeak in surprise.

[Victoria Valentine]

This made Victoria jump, her mother-radar-ears looking frantically around for a crib that wasn't there that had obiously produced the noise that woke her up. "Wha- what's wrong? What's going on?" she asked groggily.

[Claire McKenna]

"Nothing," Claire says quickly, removing her hand from Victoria's chest, "Just...a bit of sleep apnea. Sorry."

[Victoria Valentine]

"Oh... okay," Victoria yawned. Then, comfortably, she rolled over, pressing her back against Claire. "'M not to cold for you, am I?" she murmured.

[Claire McKenna]

"No. You're fine," Claire stammers, "I mean, it feels goo- fine. It feels fine."

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria sighed, relaxing and dozing, and murmuring something that sounded vaguely like 'thank you' as she huddled in with the space heater that was her friend.

[Claire McKenna]

And Claire proceeds to get absolutely no sleep the rest of the night.

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria slept until her phone rang, quite a while later, making her jump with a little start as she reached for it.

[Claire McKenna]

Claire was still awake and looking exhausted.

"Need to go?"

[Narrator]

"Miss Valentine?" A panicky voice on the other end said, "There's... oh, I don't know how to explain this..."

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria snapped up in bed. "Try. Try hard," she said.

[Narrator]

"There's... noises coming from the baby's room, but I can't tell where they're coming from..."

[Claire McKenna]

Claire sits up a bit, looking worried.

[Victoria Valentine]

"I'll be there in three minutes," Victoria said, hanging up. "Shit. I'll see you later, looks like I'm not as good at rituals as I thought," she said, scrambling out of bed.

[Claire McKenna]

"Oh...okay," Claire says, "Are you sure you don't need help?"

[Victoria Valentine]

"I don't kn-" Victoria looked back at her friend. "Oh goddess, did you sleep at all? Why didn't you kick me out!"

[Claire McKenna]

"It wasn't a big deal," Claire says, smiling a bit.

[Victoria Valentine]

Victoria sighed, then took a moment to lean back over the bed. She put her hand on the top of Claire's head, tracing her thumb in the complex pattern of a sigil that Claire could feel forming on her forehead, probably more than other people would feel it, as the energy was cool. Then she lifted her thumb away and in a quick motion pulled her head closer and leaned down and kissed right where her thumb had been.

Aside from whatever this gesture would have felt like naturally, it was like a cool rush surged through Claire's body, eating fatigue away as it went. "Silly girl... just make sure you sleep enough tonight, or you'll be even worse tomorrow. I can't do this more than once before you rest up naturally. Now... gotta go see what weird is going on in my baby's room today."

[Claire McKenna]

"...Right," Claire says, surprised by the gesture a little bit. She stood up and followed Victoria out of the room.