Hunger.
That's the only thing Misty's mind could comprehend as she made her way to the kitchen. She had been helping Miss Cordelia with her herbology classes in the mornings, and not being much of an early riser, it barely left her time to tame her wild curls, much less time for breakfast. Being well after noon now, she was on a mission.
She rounded the corner to the kitchen, met with the sight of her fellow sisters sitting at the kitchen island.
"Late start, Swampy? Where the hell have you been?" Madison quipped accusingly, butting out a cigarette into the crystal ashtray. Exhaling the last bit of smoke, she looked the Cajun witch up and down with a raised brow.
"I'm still helpin' Miss Cordelia with her mornin' classes, I'm starved," she mumbled as she made her way to the fridge, opening the door and beginning to rummage around.
"Not exactly the way I figured Cordy would've went about working up your appetite," she said with her smirk quickly fading as she felt a pointy elbow hit her ribs.
"Madison, cut it out." Zoe whispered, retracting her elbow.
"Right?" Misty drawled. "No worse than yesterday when she made me carry all them extra clay plantin' pots from the basement to the greenhouse, I thought I was gonna die before I ever made it in to get a bite to eat," she said as she settled on a bagel from the fridge, toting it in her hand to the cupboard, reaching to get a plate.
"Damn, Misty!" Queenie piped in, looking as Misty's shawl slid down her arms. "Is that how you're getting those biceps? Shit, maybe we all need to be carrying some clay pots to the greenhouse!"
"Ha! Biceps. Bet Cordelia calls her Daddy." Madison said without missing a beat, smirk back in full swing. Zoe dropped her head shaking it, trying her best to stifle her chuckle.
"Daammnnn, girl. Cold. You ain't even right." Queenie said laughing, excusing herself from the island.
Misty looked between them all, head tilted, and eyes squinted. Not understanding, she shrugged and turned her attention fully back to her bagel. She had only snuck away to grab a quick bite, she needed to get back to the greenhouse and see how the girls were coming along, and clean up from class. After swallowing the rest of her lunch in a few bites, she placed her dish in the sink, and headed back outside.
When she got the greenhouse, she smiled brightly at the scene in front of her. All the girls had succeeded in growing full and beautiful blooming plants, just from the seeds she had left them with.
"Wow!" She beamed, "Maybe I ought to leave you girls to yourselves a little more often, huh?"
The girls all giggled in unison, turning pink.
"Well," One of the young witches started, "We may have had a little extra help." She smiled as she looked to the corner of the greenhouse where Misty had walked in.
Misty's smile held its ground as she turned around and her eyes found Cordelia's, the Supremes bare hands knuckle deep in a pot of soil.
"Looks like I got caught wonderin' off, huh?" She asked as she turned back to the kids. "Got caught by the Supreme and she had to come pick up my slack!" She joked with the class.
Cordelia smiled, and picked up an old rag. Wiping off her hands, her heels clicked along the concrete as she made her way over to Misty.
"Maybe so. Your girls here took up for you awfully well," she said lightly bumping her hip with Misty's, folding the rag and tossing it back on the table.
"I'm real sorry Miss Cordelia, I just was so hun—"
"Misty, you're okay," the older blonde smiled. "I'm sure you were, you can't keep skipping meals. Everyone was already finished up when I came in, I figured we'd just have a little fun while you were gone." Misty gave her a shy smile and nodded, turning her attention yet again to the room full of student witches.
"Alright, girls. You heard her. We was about done anyway, so why don't we call it a day? Maybe ya'll should go get some lunch of your own," She told them, waving her hands out to shew them, "And don't worry about this mess, least I can do is clean up."
After they had shuffled out of the greenhouse, Cordelia came up behind the taller witch left alone with her who was sweeping the dirt off the table into her hand. She loosely wrapped an arm around her midsection and pecked her cheek.
"You know that was okay, right? I'm so happy you're helping me with some classes so I can focus on paperwork in the mornings, honey. But these girls are more than capable of being left alone for a bit. Don't overwork yourself on my account."
"I know, Dee. I just, I feel like the least I can do is to keep a real good eye on 'em for ya. After as much as you've helped me get back here and adjust? Get my footing and feel normal again?" Misty said lowly as she turned around to face her.
"I never did any of that under the assumption that you would owe me something afterwards. You know that too, right?" Cordelia said locking eyes with Misty, a smile creeping back to her face, lightly pressing her into the table behind them.
Misty's cheeks turned pink and she shook her head, wetness threatening to prick her blue eyes.
"You're too good to me, you know that? To all of us, actually," she corrected. "I can't tell ya how happy I was, comin' back and you bein' the Supreme. I told ya you were a great leader before, I can't think of anyone better for all these girls here to look up to."
"You're always too kind. But they look up to you just the same. I do, too," the Supreme said as she rose her head the few inches it took to place a light kiss on the corner of the taller witches lips. Misty smiled and pulled her closer into a hug. After a moment, a thought hit her.
"Hey, Dee? Can I ask ya something?"
"You just did," Cordelia teased.
"I mean, really. It's been buggin' me. You don't… You don't see me as a father figure… Do you?" Misty asked, the confusion from earlier in the kitchen blatantly making its way back to her pale face. Cordelia pulled back to meet her with equal confusion.
"Misty honey, what in the world are you talking about? Of course I don't. Why would you even ask?" she asked, stunned.
"Well, earlier Madison was sayin' somethin' to the girls like she bets you call me Daddy. I just couldn't for the life of me understand why she thought-" Misty ended her thought prematurely as Cordelia quickly pulled back. Frustrated, Cordelia closed her eyes, and left out a long, steady breath from her nose. She opened her eyes again.
"I'll be back," the Supreme said, spinning on her heels and throwing open the doors to the greenhouse.
"MADISON!" Misty heard Cordelia yell before she had even left the lawn.
Misty stood there stumped, and shrugged again, turning back around the clear the dirt from the table.