Title: Headache
Disclaimer: I don't even own peppermints.
Rating: K
Author's Note: NOT ANGST!! Also, it's a kind of prequel to Peppermint because I was drinking some peppermint tea when I wrote this-right now. It's usually too hot to drink tea, but I'll be damned if the heat stops me from writing.

Headache

She pressed a hand against his arm as he turned to leave. "Boq…"

"Nessa?" He kneeled as he turned in a way that his body had learned to do automatically long ago. "What's wrong?" His fingers traced the side of her cheek up to her hairline. "Headache?" She closed her eyes and nodded while he smiled slightly at the way her grip tightened on his sleeve. "You're getting those more often now." He used one hand to pull her from his arm, and his other hand ran down her hair taking the blue and silver headband with it.

"Where are you going?" He turned and smiled at her.

"I'll be right back."

When he returned his eyes wandered over the tense arch of her back as she leaned over the armrest, and the white knuckles of her left hand as she gripped the hair at her scalp. Boq pulled her hand away as he kissed her cheek. "Don't do that. You're hurting yourself." She moaned.

"It feels like someone is throwing rocks at my head, but from the inside." Boq smiled.

"And this is why I have brought you what my mother always gave out for headaches." He pressed the warm mug into her hands, and she sniffed the steam drifting from it.

"Peppermint?"

"My mother said that peppermint was a natural soothing creation delivered straight from the hands of the Unknown God. So drink that while I do the rest." She nodded and sipped the tea as Boq upturned a small vial onto his fingertip. Dotting the spots of oil on her temples, he grinned as she smiled from behind the mug, and his fingers reached behind her ears to dot the oil on her neck. As she drank the rest of the tea Boq stayed kneeling down before her with his hands slowly brushing back her hair. "Feeling better yet, Nessa?'

"A bit." She laid the cup atop the desk in Boq's room, and he held up his hand.

"That's good. I'll walk you back to your room."

"Thank you Boq."



"You should thank my mother." Nessa smiled as Boq pressed another kiss to her cheek, and she reached back towards the back of her chair to squeeze his hand.

"I'll thank you anyways."