"Well, its good to be back on Sanctuary, a Sanctuary." it's good to see you again, I'm glad you're back, Lilith wanted to say as she watched Maya walk away from deck.
She gingerly rubbed her left arm as it ached at the sight of the other woman's arm, still showing the Siren's bright blue markings, unlike her own bare one. It wasn't jealousy towards her, no, that never, it wasn't Maya's fault if she still held her powers while she didn't, but watching her made her miss them even more. She missed being a Siren, it was what she, and her girlfriend too had always been, and neither knew how to be without their powers, that, thinking about it, and Lilith had a lot of time to think, their powers had shaped their lives at birth, defined them from the very beginning, fate decided what they had to be, they never had a say in this.
The redhead sighed, at least, Maya was back, and that was what counted, and had she missed her... only she knew how much, and she was sure, Maya felt the same way, it only annoyed her that they had to meet under these circumstances. Her girlfriend looked like had enough on her plate to worry about, between Maliwan ravaging her home planet, and taking care of that kid she brought along, Lilith didn't want to add herself to the pile. But of course, even after seven years, Maya was still the same, still as nice and kind as ever, and she would worry anyways. She always did.
Maya was like that, she'd always put someone else's well being over her own, sometimes ignoring herself, even hiding it from others, and this was something Lilith never found herself liking in the other woman, she'd rather see her be selfish sometimes. She would very much like to see her girlfriend healthy after all.
She observed her from the distance as she walked around the ship, talking and greeting everyone she knew, and Lilith could see it where others failed to. Maya was always well composed and poised with her attitude, but Lilith knew her well enough to see the signs she was trying to not show. Her shoulders were slightly slumped forward, a sign of tiredness, she also had a small limp in step, and honestly, it was what the Firehawk liked the least.
Screw it, if Maya wasn't going to stop and rest for a second, after having fought Maliwan for how long she didn't even know, then she would force her. Her girlfriend hated seeing her hurt as much as she did.
So, just as soon as Sanctuary's night cycle began, she called her over, and pretty much dragged her in her own room, where there were less chances of someone bothering them, despite Maya's protests. Lilith had made it clear that she didn't want to anyone intruding unless it was important.
"Lilith, what..." she shushed her with a finger to her lips.
"Hush, now lay down." Maya tried to protest again, but Lilith gently pushing her down on her bed made her cease to resist. No tired person can say no to a comfy bed.
"Relax for once will ya?" Lilith huffed at her as she watched her finally lay on the bed.
"I'm fine Lily." the blue haired woman argued.
"No you aren't, and you're hiding it." she put her arms on each side of the other woman, trapping her under, and the pecking her cheek lightly. "Where is it hurting darling?"
"It's not..." the Siren had to stop talking, breaking instead in a fit of giggles, as the Firehawk started tickling her sides. "If you deny it again, I will tickle you to death My."
"Okay, okay... you win..." she breathed as Lilith stopped, realizing she wasn't going to yield until she admitted the truth. "I got shot, its nothing I never handled Lily, I was fighting a battalion you know."
The redhead just ignored the last part. "Where?" the Siren just rolled her eyes. "Its just my leg, the bullet went through, its okay."
"Nonsense, and since you haven't been to Tannis to treat it, I will." she got up to retrieve a first aid kit stashed away in one of the cabinets.
"I have seen Tannis, but I don't really feel like being poked around, she gets... a little too curious."
Lilith nodded, the scientist had a thing for going a little too far at times, especially with them being Sirens and all. "I know what you mean, but she is capable, and she's what we have since Zed is absent. Honestly I don't know who would be worse." she shrugged, placing and opening the box on the bed.
"Pants off, now." she ordered.
"I didn't know you wanted to see me naked so badly." the Siren chuckled, making her girlfriend laugh too. "As much as I'd love to put my hands all over you, I'd rather do it knowing you're perfectly fine." I don't want to hurt you, those were the unspoken word.
Regardless, Maya did as asked, and took off her pants, exposing the wound on her leg. It looked mostly healed, still there was a lot dried blood around the hole where the bullet went through the skin, and also it was also always better avoiding the risk of infection.
"You've really been walking around with that thing? My, you really need to learn to take care of yourself, screw the rest." Lilith spoke up, scolding her like a little child, or a big child in this case. "Even you?" she nodded. "Yes, even me."
Taking a ball of cotton and imbuing it with alcohol, she began cleaning the wound on Maya's leg, careful to not apply too much pressure in order to not hurt her. Not a sound came from the other woman.
"But you are also hurting, aren't you?" the blue haired woman placed a hand on Lilith's left one, she slowly nodded. "I am, and I know you are worried about me, but so am I, it goes both ways Maya, don't hurt yourself to look after others, you should know this by now." she gently squeezed her hand, before resuming in her task, wrapping a roll of gauze around her girlfriend's leg.
The Siren stayed silent for a while, there was no telling what she was thinking. The click of the box of medical supplies distracted her from her thoughts.
"Maya listen, I know what you went through, because you trusted me with keeping the secret when you told me all those years ago. You are not alone anymore, you have people that care for you as much as you care for them, don't forget it."
The blue haired woman was quiet once more, but didn't resist in being tucked in, too tired and shaken to do anything else, she wasn't sure she even wanted to. Lilith lying down next to her, tangling her fingers in her long blue locks, and leaving kisses on her neck.
Maya let herself relax into her girlfriend's touch, sighing softly as she did. She didn't have a moment to properly rest since Maliwan had invaded her home, between driving them away and making sure Ava didn't get killed in the process, things hadn't been easy, at all. Then when she saw Lilith and her missing markings, the anger and the sadness she felt for her had returned stronger than ever, clouding her heart.
Yet she was here, patching her up when she didn't do it, and reassuring her, reminding her that she didn't need to push herself, that she could just ask for help, and that there where a whole heap of people that loved her, one being right next to her all along.
"I feel so selfish..." she whispered, nuzzling into Lilith's red mane.
"Sometimes its good to be selfish." the Firehawk embraced her tighter. "But if you so much want to make me happy, I might know a way."
The Siren hummed, sign that she was interested. "Just stay with me tonight, relax, and rest up. Let me take care of you for once, okay?" she left a small peck on her girlfriend's lips, an unspoken plea.
"I think I just might accept." she said, snuggling closer.
How much had she missed this kind of human contact the abbey had always deprived her ever since she was born, and even after she had experienced it for the first time. There was no room for such things there, and she very much preferred to be in Lilith's arms than home.
This was her true home, with the woman that loved her, she was safe and content in her arms, Siren or not.