As the sun began to set both Kaila and Faye had fallen fast asleep in the women's arms as their movie continued playing in front of them. But still there was no sign of Lauren. "Do you think she's coming down?" Nina asked her wife.
Lain shrugged.
They had hoped Lauren would have eventually found it within herself to join them downstairs, but at this rate, it seems that wasn't going to be the case tonight.
"Then let's get them tucked in already." Nina stood carrying Kaila who now had a pacifier in her mouth sucking peacefully on it. As she walked upstairs Nina couldn't take her eyes off the girl in her arms.
She was so small all day long and for once, Nina could see true joy in the girls eyes. When she played with them earlier while Lain was upstairs, she could hear and see the difference in the girls moods.
She wasn't hesitant to play. She wasn't hesitant to speak. She could tell the girl was living her best life for once.
Careful not to wake up the girl in her arms, Lain carried Faye up behind her wife. Taking both girls to their rooms, the women tucked them securely in their beds before pressing kisses on top of their heads.
Meeting outside in the hallway they quietly stared down the hall towards Lauren's shut bedroom door. Grabbing hold of each other's hands, the women walked over to her room.
Knocking on her door they waited nervously for a response. "Come in." Her frail voice called for them.
Walking in the women saw Lauren sitting on her bed rubbing her tired eyes. Something Lain noticed in particular was the missing journal from the girls hands. She smirked to herself assuming her talk with Lauren earlier had gone over well.
"Hey sweet pea. How are you holding up?" Nina said as she stayed at the edge of her bed.
"I feel better." Her voice didn't sound convincing one bit.
"We missed you tonight." Lain added.
"I-I'm sorry." She looked down playing with her lavender sheet.
Not wanting her to feel bad about it Lain shook her head. "Don't be. We were only watching movies anyway." She assured.
"Oh-" the small girl looked up from her seat. "C-can we w-watch one?" She asked of them.
"Of course we can watch one." Nina said with a smile. Holding her hand out she waited to see if Lauren was going to accept it.
They saw her bite her lip as she looked between Nina's hand and her lap. Finally Lauren built enough courage as she stood up and grabbed hold of Nina.
Leaving the room happier than when they entered, the women found themselves back downstairs to where the soft blanket was still laying on the couch.
Sandwiching the small girl between them, the couple flickered through a list of movies they had. "What do you want to watch?" Nina asked.
"Um...that one." She waited until she found one that caught your attention.
"Classic Little Mermaid it is." She announced pushing play on the movie.
While the couple kept their distance from the girl between them, they couldn't help but want to hold her close. Especially Nina.
The first half of the movie was spent in silence. The girls fixation was stuck on the singing mermaid and her friends, meanwhile, Lain and Nina's had been altering between the film and Lauren.
Seeing Lauren shift her gaze down towards Kaila's left behind empty bottle from earlier on the table besides the couch, Nina smirked. At first Lauren would only look over once and a while, but now she was looking back at it between every word the characters were saying.
Not wanting her to miss out on her show as she just stared at the empty bottle, Nina walked away quickly fetching the girl one of her own.
When she returned back in sight Lauren looked up at Nina with big eyes.
The women both watched as she restrained herself from immediately grabbing the bottle out of the woman's hands and putting it in her mouth.
Instead she sat as patient as could be as Nina walked over to her.
Without saying a word, Nina gave the girl her desired item. But she didn't put it in her mouth straight away. Instead she held it, just watching as the white liquid swirled around the bottle when she tilted it.
Feeling the warm liquid within, her hands warmed up as a fuzzy feeling sent welcoming chills down her back.
Lauren didn't even realize she had been staring at the bottle for five minutes straight when she felt a soft hand place itself on top of hers. Guiding the bottle towards her mouth, Lauren happily opened up as she began suckling on it.
Lain smiled leaving her hand in place until she felt Lauren's grip strengthen and hold it in place for herself. "That's better isn't it?" She asked.
Nodding her head the girl nuzzled back into the seat returning to the movie. Now content with a bottle and both women at her sides Lauren creeped a small smile from behind the bottle. A singular tear fell down her strained eye.
She didn't want the fuzzy feeling that was circling her entire being to leave her ever again. Without it she felt cold and alone. But now she was so calm and relaxed. She didn't care about anything other than what was happening in front of her.
Slowly inching closer to her, Nina slipped her hand that was under the blanket over to Lauren's waist. Leaving just her fingertips on the girls side, she didn't push her hold further until Lauren inched closer as well.
Happily wrapping her arm around Lauren's waist, Nina pulled the girl into her side as she held her there securely. Seeing the girls eyes not leaving the screen as she continued drinking away from her bottle Nina exchanged a look of relief with her wife.
Being able to relax with Lauren back in her arms again, Nina completely ignored the movie as she instead just watched the little girl fall more and more at ease in her hold.
It warmed Lain's heart to see Lauren lay her head against her wife's shoulder. From her squinted eye to shaking foot on the floor, she knew her wife was thrilled as well.
Chuckling internally to herself she felt a small vibration coming from her back pocket. Raising an eyebrow she pulled her phone out. She didn't know who would be sending something her way at this time of day.
But looking down at her screen, a name from her contacts illuminated as a message appeared under it.
She rolled her eyes grunting louder than anticipated as she slammed her phone down onto the arm rest besides her. Nina looked up from Lauren lost as her wife laid her head down on her hand which was putting pressure against her temple.
Not wanting to take away Lauren's moment of ease with the women, Nina waited to talk to her wife about it.
While she waited for the movie to end, Nina couldn't help but look up every now and then to check up on her.
What started out as a simple hold of her head turned into a head banger as Lain was squeezing onto her head tightly by the time the film ended. Thankfully the cartoon captivated Lauren's attention the entire time that she hadn't noticed.
Taking the empty bottle away from her, Nina sat it besides Kaila's one. "Can mama carry you back up to your room?" She asked as Lauren yawned besides her.
Nodding tiredly Nina smiled happily as she lifted the girl up the stairs. Seeing Lain about to follow them she paused, "don't." She held her hand out stopping her wife. " I'll be back." She said before taking off with Lauren.
Lain threw her hands up as she slumped back down in the couch listening as her phone vibrated again with yet another message. Throughout the movie the same person kept pestering her without a sign to stop.
Meanwhile, upstairs in Lauren's room, Nina shut off the girls light as she tucked her underneath the blanket of her mermaid themed bed. "Now close those eyes for me." She said softly.
As Nina walked back towards the girls door to leave she heard a small whimper from Lauren's bed. "Paci?" The girl asked as her eyes hung low. They were so red from all her crying today, it was surprising how she didn't fall asleep sooner.
But not wanting to waste another second Nina happily obliged as she grabbed one for the girl from her room as she placed it in her mouth. "Sleep well Lauren." She kissed the top of her head as little snores already escaped her.
As she shut the door to Lauren's room, Nina made her way back downstairs seeing Lain pacing around the living room with a look of stress on her face. "Babe?" She called for her wife. "What's going on? Why are you freaking out?"
Pointing to her phone, Nina picked it up seeing exactly why her wife was acting so strange tonight. With about five messages all from the same person, she understood her wife's stressed behavior when her eyes glanced over the newest one of them.
"Explain this!" Sent the message with an attachment to it. Clicking open her wife's phone to examine it further she gasped seeing what appeared before her.
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Let me know who you think that person was and what they sent. Thanks Lexx signing off