Unexpected Comfort (A Carmen X Tigress Fanfic) (Discontinued)

Sleepless

    The silence of the night was deafening. Tigress lay in bed, a tired frustration enveloping her. She couldn't sleep, insomnia was being a bitch. The blonde girl listened to Crackle's snores. God he was annoying. Would it kill him to shut up for five minutes? Still, her insomnia was sort of useful; it kept her nightmares away. That didn't make it any less annoying though.

    Tigress sat up with a disgruntled sigh, rubbing her eyes. She wasn't sleeping any time soon. The faint rustle of sheets drew her her attention to the bed opposite of hers. A pair of silver eyes glimmered in the darkness. 

    "Sheena?" Black Sheep mumbled, her head tilting drowsily. "What's wrong? Did you have another nightmare?"

    "No, I'm fine," Sheena whispered back. "I've just been up all night, I can't sleep." She reached up in a stretch, letting out a quiet grunt. "What about you lambkins? Why are you up?"

   Black Sheep opened her mouth to reply, only to stop with a whimper of pain. The young thief winced, clutching her side. Sheena immediately scrambled out of bed. She hurried over to her friend's bedside, her eyes wide with concern. "Shit, what's wrong?"

   "It's just a bruise, it's fine." The darker girl mumbled through gritted teeth. "I got it while I was sparring today." She glanced up at Sheena. "I've been trying to move as little as possible. For a bruise, it sure hurts like hell."

    Sheena glimpsed faint purple under Black Sheep's shirt. "Low blow huh?" She mused. Something instinctively urged her hand forward. A gesture of concern? Protectiveness? The blonde thief didn't know. But before she knew it, she was gently lifting the shirt to check the damage.

    Black Sheep tensed. "No seriously, I'm ok. There's no need to-"

    "Holy shit," Sheena whispered, her eyes widening. The bruise was huge, stretching over a large portion of Black Sheep's abdomen. Shades of green and blue darkened into ugly purples, blossoming like a decayed flower. 

    "How the hell did this happen?" The blonde thief demanded, surprised by the anger in her voice. Her eyes flicked upwards to meet her rival's.

    Black Sheep flinched backward, her brows furrowing in annoyance. "I already told you, I had sparring practice today," she explained. "Coach Brunt thought I needed a little extra work," the crimson haired girl placed a tentative hand on her side, wincing slightly. "I guess she was right."

    The younger thief glanced at her friend, arching her brow. "Why is this such a big deal to you?" She asked. "Injuries happen, it's just part of training."

    "I'm your teammate," Sheena huffed, prickling with embarrassment, "I have a right to be concerned about you."

    Black Sheep's lips formed into a bemused smile. "Well... guess what?" She said, shifting herself forward. "I'm also your teammate. And as your teammate, I shouldn't need to remind you that you've hurt me just as much in a sparring match." Her grey gaze flickered softly. "Remember when you pulled my arm out of place?"

    Sheena blinked, her face darkening slightly. She did do that, didn't she? Damn it. "Yeah... I remember," she admitted regretfully, crossing her arms. "That probably hurt, didn't it?"

    "Oh absolutely," Black Sheep assented, "I hated you for like, a solid week." 

    "Sorry," Sheena grumbled, drawing her shoulders up. "I didn't mean to hurt you that badly." 

    "Hey, don't worry about it," her rival said, "I got you back eventually." The caramel skinned girl reached over, lightly tapping Sheena's nose. Black Sheep smiled as the blonde thief blinked in surprise, a hint of pink dusting her face. Sheena's lips pulled into a disgruntled frown.

    "Yeah, I guess you did," the young woman said with a sigh. Her teal gaze sharpened accusingly, "oh and by the way, that fucking hurt too."

    "Oh I know," Black Sheep chuckled, "but I've apologized, and now we're even." She grinned, her features soft in the darkness. "I mean, we're kinda friends now. How crazy is that?"

    Sheena held the girl's gaze for a moment, eventually feeling her heart soften. She smiled back. "It's pretty crazy," the blonde woman agreed, "especially considering the fact that we hated each other two months ago."

    "Hey, we're a work in progress," the younger woman joked, "but it'll all work out eventually. We made a promise," she took one of Sheena's hands in her own, holding it in a way that felt like the start of a handshake, "remember?"

    The taller thief felt herself grow warm, that familiar and aggravating contentment blooming in her chest. "Yeah, I remember," she said softly, squeezing Black Sheep's hand. Sheena was thankful that her friend didn't question the prolonged contact. Something about it was just nice, calming almost. It felt right. It was the kind of affection Sheena hadn't experienced in a long time. 

    Black Sheep was thankful for the darkness provided by the night; it masked the growing blush on her face. Her fingers curled inward, beginning to twine with Sheena's. "Do you wanna stay over here for a bit?" The crimson haired girl offered. "Just-um... just until you feel like sleeping."

    "Sure," the blonde woman agreed, not bothering with her usual snarky remarks. Well, maybe one wouldn't hurt. "Move over Lambkins," Sheena teased, shuffling forward. She smirked as Black Sheep shot her a dirty look. Still, the younger thief shifted sideways, giving her rival room to sit beside her. Soon the two women were settled comfortably, their bodies close together.

    Black Sheep yawned, her head drooping. She'd been tired for awhile now, and having the soothing warmth of Sheena beside her was not helping. The crimson haired girl blinked sleepily. "You know, I'm glad we're friends now," she murmured. Her body relaxed against her rival's, her nerves humming pleasantly. 

    "Oh yeah?" Sheena said, blushing faintly. "And why's that Lambkins?"

    "Because I get to see a better side of you," Black Sheep's head came to rest on Sheena's shoulder. She let out another yawn, her eyelids drooping. "You're a lot nicer than you look." 

    "Gee, thanks," the blonde thief said dryly, rolling her eyes. "That's real sweet of you." She received no response. "...Black Sheep?"

    Sheena tilted her head slightly, blushing as she realized her rival had fallen asleep. The smaller  girl's body rose and fell with gentle breaths, her body perfectly curved into Sheena's side. She had to admit, Black Sheep was kinda cute like this.

    "Shit," the older thief swore, her face red. There was no way she could move now. Oh god, what would the rest of their team say in the morning? Ugh, they'd never shut up about it, especially Crackle.

    Sheena let out a long sigh, her body relaxing in resignation. Welp, there was nothing she could do now. She might as well make the best out of the situation. The thief pulled the covers up further, blocking out the chill. She turned her head once more, her messy hair brushing around her shoulders. "Goodnight Lambkins," she whispered. In a moment of rare kindness, her lips brushed against Black Sheep's forehead. It was a kiss in its own right, though Sheena wouldn't acknowledge it as such. Besides, no one had seen it happen; She could call it whatever she wanted. 

    Though, as sleep began to wash over her, Sheena had to admit she hadn't felt this loved in a long, long time.

~~~

Quick Author's Note: Hey guys, I know I've been gone for like, forever. I'm sorry about that. I just think I needed a long break. I can't promise I know when the next chapter will be up, but I'll try to update it sooner rather than later. I hope you enjoy this little filler chapter though :). Have a good night y'all.