Her Inked Scars

strong medication

It feels weird to have some of her food without asking but I'm starving. Perhaps I can make something for both of us depending on what she had in her kitchen.

Nyoka's still in the steamy shower as I raid her kitchen, not finding much as I get a glass of water to fill a little bit of the hungry void growing inside me.

Still hungry I return to the living room, lounging on the sofa as I scroll through my phone, searching for anything I could make for her.

POV: Nyoka

How long was I in the shower?

My fingers have gone all pruney from the steam and hot water that trickled down my body for who knows how long. I can tell I had my strong painkillers since I can barely feel any of my cramps but I don't recall when I even got them or how I got home. 

My skin feels weird from the wrinkles as I get out of the shower, wrapping my body in a towel to cover my chest as I dry my hair with another towel. The towel around my body barely covers my ass as I step out of the bathroom, realising that when I'd gotten into the shower I hadn't closed the door.

Part of my mind fuzzily recalls who I think was Celeste helping me into my apartment and napping in her office but there's no sign of her. Did I imagine her helping me or did she actually bring me home?

I shake away the thought as I go into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me as I get dressed into comfortable clothes, not intending to do anything else tonight. My eyes catch sight of the clock as I realise it isn't even five o'clock yet making me pause. I should still be at work right now.

The sound of my hair dryer screams through my room as I try to dry my hair until it won't seep water through the back of my shirt. Even though it's really loud I could swear I hear my front door open and close.

I finish drying my hair and step out of my room, collecting up the clothes I had been wearing earlier that are scattered over the corridor of my apartment up to the bathroom.

How did I make such a mess?

Shoving it all into the washing basket I splash my face with some cold water from the sink to wash away the groggy feeling in my head from the showers steam. As I wipe the water away from my eyes I hear heavy footsteps wander into my apartment, closing the door behind them.

There's nothing to grab as fear washes over me, not knowing who just entered my apartment so carelessly. For some reason I'm not as scared as I should be when someone I don't know is in my house.

I peer around the edge of the door trying to see who it is but they're nowhere instantly visible to me. There is a pair of heavy black boots set next to my scattered shoes by the door. A pair that I recognise.

"Oh, are you done showering, Nyoka?" Celeste calls from the kitchen.

"Y-yeah," I reply, suddenly nervous that she's in my apartment.

"Well, you were a bit loopy from your medication so I thought I'd make you some food to make you feel better," she says, stepping out of the kitchen with a wide smile.

"Sorry, but I don't really remember anything beyond trying to sleep at work," I admit, stepping into the kitchen with her as she unpacks everything from the paper shopping bag she brought in.

"Oh, well," she thinks, "you took a nap I my office, I got your medication, and I drove a very loopy version of you home."

She pauses for a while at the end as though there was something else she wanted to add but decides against it making me nervous. What the hell did I do while I was all medicated?

Celeste catches on quickly to my thoughts, sighing as she places a frying pan on the stove.

"Do you really want to know? I don’t want you to be too embarrassed," she says only making me more nervous.

"Don't say it like that!" I whine, getting nearer to tears. "You're only making me more nervous. What did I do?"

"Well, once I got you into your apartment you slipped out of my grasp since I was helping you walk and before I could do anything to stop you, you began...um, stripping yourself as you went to take a shower," she chuckles, rubbing the back of her neck.

I crumple to the floor and bury my face in my hands to hide the humiliation flushing my face. She takes a moment before crouching down beside me and patting my head to comfort me.

"How much did you see?" I ask as tears well in my eyes.

There's so many things on my body that I never want to let anybody see. Especially not someone I'm barely that close to.

"Only your back," she assures me. "I turned away before you took most of your clothes off because I was embarrassed."

"You're embarrassed?" I yell at her.

She isn't the one who began to strip themselves in front of basically a stranger. I guess we're not as much strangers anymore but I'm still not comfortable enough around her to let her see my naked body.

She tries to comfort me but eventually has to give up as I become unresponsive. She helps me into my living room, sitting me on my couch as she goes back to the kitchen to cook food that smells so good. The delicious fumes fill my apartment and make my mouth water as I put on nonsense TV.

By the time she's done my medication has kicked in enough that I'm beginning to get sleepy.

"Bon appetite," she cheerfully says, two plates in hand. "Hey, are you awake?"

"Mhm," I mumble, trying my best to take the plate. "You know what?"

"What, Nyoka?" She giggles.

"I'm gonna sit on the floor," I say slowly, unable to stop myself from giving as I slip onto the floor, placing my plate on the coffee table to eat.

Celeste agrees to eat in almost silence with just the TV making noise since I'm starting to get a headache from forcing myself to stay awake.

I rest my head on the table once I've eaten as much as I can with my limited appetite, wanting to be a good host for  Celeste but I'm far too tired.

The sound of the TV begins to fade as my vision blurs and fades into an uncomfortable sleep that I try to fight but eventually have to give in.