Prompt request: Misty is afraid to sleep alone after her time in the coffin.
For purposes of this fic, Misty is Supreme, Delia's healed, and no one else died. I actually might continue this one, but first I'm finishing up the rest of my requests. Enjoy!
Heavy footsteps thundered down the hallway, followed by the sound of Cordelia's door being thrown open. Madison's aggravated voice followed as Cordelia sat up and turned towards the doorway.
"Madison, I told you that you need to kno—"
"Whatever, Cordy. Can't you shut your precious swamp witch up? It's 4 in the morning and some of us are trying to sleep!"
With that, Madison retreated to her room, slamming the door behind her.
Cordelia sighed and rubbed her recently healed eyes. It had been three days since the Seven Wonders, three days since Misty had been identified as the Supreme and three days since Madison's complaints about Misty had been steadily increasing. Cordelia had repeatedly made it clear to Madison that Misty was not "her woman", nor did she appreciate Madison's insistence that "a good fuck" could remedy Misty's night time wanderings, no matter how willing Cordelia was to provide such services.
Standing outside Misty's doorway, Cordelia could hear Misty's beloved Stevie playing softly. She raised her hand and knocked lightly, opening the door when she heard Misty call out to come in.
"Oh, Miss Cordelia! I'm sorry, is Stevie too loud?"
There was a blanket and a book on the floor, next to the CD player that was currently playing Landslide.
"No, Misty, it's fine. I was just checking on you. Were you sitting on the floor?"
"No…" Cordelia could immediately tell that Misty was lying. She was looking down and fumbling with the tassels on her shawl. It was one of the endearing little quirks that completely gave the swamp witch away.
Cordelia made her way over to Misty's bed and sat lightly on the edge, turning to face the young witch.
"Misty, is something wrong?"
There was a long pause, and a quiet sigh. "Sort of. I mean, well, I can't…I haven't been able to…"
Cordelia waited, scooting over a bit when she Misty made a move to sit down beside her.
"Promise you won't laugh at me, Cordelia. I mean, its real silly, and I don' even know why I'm so bothered by it to tell the truth…", the younger witch trailed off, picking at the threads on her comforter.
"I would never laugh at something that is troubling you. I will do anything I can to help. Now tell me," she reached out to take Misty's hands in her own before Misty could render her bedspread threadbare, "what is wrong?"
Misty's response was quiet, her head lowered, and uttered from behind the curtain of her hair. "I can't sleep."
Cordelia gently squeezed Misty's hands, reaching out to lift the swamp witch's chin up.
"The solution to that is simple! All we need is some valerian and lavender and we can mix you up potion that will have you counting sheep in no time. I can show you right now, if you like…" Cordelia made a move to stand, but Misty's grip tightened on the hand she still held. The next statement was so hushed that Cordelia scarcely heard it at all.
"I'm afraid."
Cordelia sat back down, unexpectedly closer to Misty than before. Their entwined hands rested on Cordelia's knee. Misty let out a weary sigh, leaning her shoulder against Cordelia before continuing.
"Ever since I was locked up in that damn crypt, I just can't manage to sleep for more than an hour or so before I have these…awful, terrible dreams. Now, I ain't no stranger to bad dreams but these ones…they're different and I can't shake em'. I'm locked up forever, and I keep callin' out to you, but you never come, and I just…I'm so tired…"
Misty laughed ruefully. Cordelia could feel her shaking her head. "What kinda Supreme am I? Scared to sleep over some dumb shit like that. Fiona wouldn't ha—"
Cordelia moved so that she was facing Misty, and took the young woman's face in her hands.
"There is no shame in fear, Misty. Shame comes from ignoring fear until it consumes your mind and soul. My mother was many things, but she was not a good Supreme. She was afraid. She allowed her fear and paranoia to put this whole coven, all of you, at risk because of her own selfish desires. You've forgiven Madison, you healed me, and you brought this coven together as one after so long at one another's throats. You've already proven yourself to be more than her, so don't you dare sit here and tell me that something that traumatized you is something to be ashamed of, because it is not. As for me, you never have to worry about being alone again. I will always come to you, and I will always find you, Misty Day. You can count on that."
Cordelia cleared her throat, letting her hands drop from Misty's face. She could no longer stand to look into Misty's eyes, which were shining with appreciation and devotion and something else that Cordelia was afraid to identify after her unexpected outburst.
Suddenly she was enveloped in Misty's arms, the younger girl resting her forehead against Cordelia's own after pressing a kiss to her cheek. "…I needed to hear that."
Cordelia closed her eyes at the soft press of Misty's lips to her cheek, and then raised her hands to lightly thread through Misty's hair. Misty shifted so that they were half reclining on the bed, her arms encircling Cordelia's waist and her head resting against the headmistress' chest.
The two of them lay like that for a long while, Cordelia absently playing with Misty's hair while Misty practically purred against her. Cordelia smiled as Misty's breath began to even out. As she reached up to shut the lamp off, Misty made a disgruntled noise and tightened her grip on Cordelia. She glanced up from under heavy lidded eyes and a made a groggy request.
"Stay…please…?"
She clicked the light off, reclining back fully so that she could wrap her arms around Misty completely, as well as get some sleep herself.
Misty looked up at her with a hazy smile.
"You're 'mazin, Delia…"
Cordelia brushed a strand of hair from Misty's eyes, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Misty gave a satisfied hum and lowered her head again; asleep once more by the time her cheek touched the soft material of Cordelia's night shirt.
Early the next morning, a well rested Madison exited her room, curious about the lack of that awful hippy twirler music the previous night. She craned her head around the open door of ol' Swampy's room, not at all surprised to see the headmistress and Supreme wrapped in one another's arms.
"Jesus, it's about time."
On her way to the bathroom, she kicked Zoe's bed, leaning down to the witch who had just started to rise from her slumber.
"It totally worked. You owe me twenty bucks.