Cass dealt herself another hand of solitaire and sipped at the bottle of whiskey at her elbow. It was the middle of the night, and she sat alone in the kitchen, sprawled out at the large dining table. It hadn't been her plan to take a nap directly after arriving back at the Lucky 38, but she figured she needed it, especially after her heart had decided to go haywire.
She frowned down at the cards, peeking at the next one in the deck. "Aw, fuck." She tossed the deck onto the table and leaned back in her chair, rubbing a hand over her face.
No matter how many games Cass dealt, she hadn't been able to get Veronica's words out of her head. It didn't sit right with her knowing that she'd upset the brunette, and Cass scowled at herself every time she remembered Veronica admitting that she'd been scared. She was just Cassidy, the caravan driver that no one gave two shits about unless she was late.
Until she'd joined Six's band of misfits, anyway. The courier was quiet but always knew ways to accomplish what they needed to do, and Cass admired Six's resourcefulness. Arcade was fun to trade insults with, and he gave as good as he got. He wasn't much for a drinking buddy, but Cass figured that had to do with his Followers affiliation, not that she knew for sure. Veronica, though… She was a piece of work. She'd near enough driven Cass crazy with how talkative and bright she was. As soon as Cass had gotten over her irritation at Veronica's consistently good mood and bright smile, she'd found that she had a soft spot for the brunette. She'd hesitated to call them friends for a long time, but the Brotherhood scribe was one of the first people Cass had met in a long time that she felt like she could really trust.
Still, Cass wasn't quite sure how to handle being worried about. It made something inside her feel strange, and she hadn't ever liked being responsible for someone else's feelings. She ran away from her problems. That was why caravan life had appealed to her so much.
She snorted slightly, reaching for her bottle. Veronica wasn't a problem, of course, not in the slightest. But Cass didn't understand why the brunette had even bothered to befriend her, much less worry over her. She'd purposefully been cantankerous at first, determined to keep the courier and the rest of the group at arm's length.
Cass wasn't stupid. She knew that whatever the hell this friendship was with Veronica, it was closer than she'd allowed anyone to get since… well, ever.
A door opened out in the suite, and footsteps thudded across the common room, muffled by the thick carpet. Cass cocked her head and listened, glad she'd left the kitchen door ajar. Water ran from the bathroom sink, the old pipes clanging when the water shut off. After a few seconds there was the sound of a door closing, and Cass nodded to herself and settled back into her chair, returning to her thoughts.
"Cass?"
The redhead nearly jumped out of her skin. "Jesus! What the hell—?" She turned and saw Veronica standing in the doorway, her irritation melting away at the sight of the brunette.
Veronica's hair was sticking up in a few places, but her eyes were focused on Cass even as she squinted in the light. "Sorry," she said after a moment. "I didn't think… You're not a ghost, right?"
Cass snorted. "Not so far as I can tell." She thumped her fist against her chest and grinned. "See, solid."
Veronica smiled and rubbed at her eyes. "Are you still okay?"
The redhead nodded. "Dumbass idea to take a nap. Now it's middle'a the night and I can't sleep. Figured I'd play some cards until I passed out or Blondie came in to make breakfast."
"Arcade makes good scrambled gecko eggs," Veronica pointed out, defending the doctor gently.
Cass pretended to mull it over, then nodded as though it pained her. "I s'pose."
Veronica lingered in the doorway for a moment, then nodded toward the cards on the table. "Can I join you?"
"Aren't you tired?" Cass quirked a brow at the scribe, but went ahead and gathered up the cards.
Veronica shrugged and slipped into the seat across from Cass. "Caravan?" she asked hopefully.
"Five card stud." Cass grinned when Veronica rolled her eyes, dealing out the cards.
The brunette was uncharacteristically quiet, even when Cass factored in the late hour. There was vague distress in Veronica's eyes, but Cass didn't know what to say or how to ask about it. She opted to go easy on the scribe, but Veronica's mind was obviously elsewhere; even with Cass playing to lose, the redhead still came out ahead.
"Sorry," Veronica sighed, burying her face in her hands and rubbing at her eyes. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought."
Cass shuffled quietly, then set the deck aside. "Everything okay?" she asked hesitantly. The words felt funny coming out of her mouth but Cass resisted the urge to make a face.
Veronica shrugged and folded her arms on the table, resting her head on them. "Bad dream," she murmured dismissively. "Go ahead and deal again if you want. I'm just resting my eyelids."
Cass smirked and took another drink from her whiskey bottle. "Naw, that's okay." She sat back in her chair and enjoyed the brunette's presence for a few minutes, her thoughts calmer with Veronica there.
After a while, it became apparent that Veronica was dozing off, and Cass nudged the scribe's foot with her own. The brunette gave a soft grunt and turned her head, but didn't stir.
Cass shook her head and got up, moving to Veronica's side. "C'mon, Ronnie," Cass murmured, guiding the half-asleep scribe to her feet. The brunette swayed slightly, but Cass caught her arm and looped it over her own shoulders. "I gotcha."
She led the scribe back to her bed, easing her down into the softness of her covers. Veronica hummed contentedly, sinking against her pillow and sighing.
Cass draped the covers over Veronica gently, trying not to disturb her, but was surprised when Veronica reached up and caught her shirt collar. The cowgirl followed Veronica's gentle tug easily, only to find herself wrapped up in Veronica's arms.
The brunette sleepily tucked her head against Cass' chest. "Good," she mumbled. "Still beating."
"Course it is," Cass replied gently, not quite sure what to do about the affectionate embrace that had her trapped.
Veronica turned her head and nuzzled her face into Cass' collarbone, then released the redhead and dropped back onto her pillow. She sighed out a "g'night", drifting off to sleep almost immediately.
Cass stared down at her, still trying to figure out the lingering sensation of Veronica's arms around her. It took her a few minutes to step away from Veronica's bedside, but she found that she didn't feel like playing any more solitaire. Cass stood there for a long time, finally deciding to crawl into her bed.
Sleep didn't come easy for Cass, and she laid there for hours, listening to the sound of Veronica's even breathing. She could still feel Veronica's head cradled against her chest when she finally fell asleep.