Blue - Winrina

twenty

Karina aimlessly scrolled on her phone while both Winter and Clifford fell asleep in her lap. Winter had her head resting on Karina's thigh, and the rest of her small body curled up in a small ball atop the rug in their bathroom.

Karina looked down at the small girl, watching her chest rise and fall slowly. Winter sleeping was one of the most adorable things she had ever seen. The smaller girl would crinkle her nose slightly whenever she was dreaming, and it never failed to make Karina smile.

The brown eyed girl had almost fallen asleep herself, with her head hanging down slightly. Just as her eyelids drooped shut, she was startled when Winter gasped and her entire body shot upwards.

Clifford woke with a start, scrambling off of Karina's lap and clumsily finding a hiding spot behind his carrier. Winter whimpered, bringing her hands up to her face. Karina immediately scooted closer to her shaking girlfriend.

"Hey, hey, it's me," Karina said softly, rubbing her hands up and down Winter's arms and trying to get the smaller girl to look at her. "You're okay... it was just a dream."

"Ji?" Winter whispered, moving her hands away from her face.

"I've got you," Karina nodded, but realized Winter's eyes were focused on something else. Before the brown eyed girl could respond, Winter was crawling across the room and peering behind the carrier.

"I am so sorry," Winter mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut and taking a deep breath. Clifford scooted further back into corner, clearly still afraid from the sudden noise.

Whimpering, Winter plopped backwards against the wall and buried her head in her hands. Karina moved to pull the smaller girl closer to her.

"I-I scared him," Winter mumbled, wiping her eyes in frustration.

"Hey," Karina shook her head and grabbed Winter's wrists to still her movements. "He'll be okay," she nodded. She met Winter's eyes and wiped away the girl's tears with the pads of her thumbs. "It's you that I'm worried about right now."

"Me?" Winter stitched her eyebrows together.

"Yes, you," Karina nodded and slowly stood up, helping Winter up with her. "The nightmares are getting worse, aren't they?" Winter simply nodded softly. For some reason, the smaller girl felt ashamed.

"Let's go lay down," Karina said quietly, leading Winter out into the hallway and making sure to close the bathroom door behind them to give Clifford some privacy. The minute they set foot in her bedroom, Winter burrowed under the blankets. Karina sighed.

The brown eyed girl sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing circles in her girlfriend's back to try and calm her down. Without being asked, she began singing softly.

I walked across an empty land,

I knew the pathway like the back of my hand.

I felt the earth beneath my feet,

Sat by the river and it made me complete.

Oh simple thing where have you gone?

I'm getting old and I need something to rely on.

So tell me when you're gonna let me in

I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin.

I came across a fallen tree,

I felt the branches of it looking at me.

It is this the place that I've been dreaming of?