Kiden really did have the best intentions of sleeping, but the moment her head hit the pillow, she knew trying would be futile. Her mind was crowded with thoughts, too jumbled to even be put into words and made sense of—and worse of all, the whole damn room reminded her of Laura. She laid down on one side of the bed out of habit, and when she realised that nobody would be joining her, she felt no desire whatsoever to roll over and take up the whole of the bed herself.
She attempted to convince herself that things would be fine, that she wasn't in such an emotional state that she had to get comfort from Sarah, but even she didn't believe what she was saying. This wasn't the kind of thing you could sleep off.
Laura wasn't Laura any more.
Throwing the bed covers off minutes after she crawled under them, Kiden grabbed a change of clothes and groggily dragged herself to the bathroom. Locking the door behind her and turning on the water as hot as it would go, she tossed her nightshirt on the floor, and stepped into the shower.
That should've cleared her mind, relaxed her a little. If nothing else, she could tell herself that her eyes were only red and stinging because soap had got into them—but once again, she wasn't doing a particularly good job of lying to herself.
When the heat of the water started making her feel dizzy, Kiden jumped out and towelled herself off quickly, running her fingers through her hair, but not bothering to either brush or dry it. She dressed and headed out of the room, leaving her nightshirt in a mess on the floor behind her, and had intended to go back to her room—for what she wasn't sure. To stare at the wall, most likely—but found herself stood outside of Karolina and Xavin's old room.
Which was now Laura's room, she supposed.
She pressed one hand against the door and kept it there for a long time, listening in. She heard nothing, and didn't know whether this was a good thing or not, but at least it meant that she wouldn't be interrupting any important conversations. Kiden turned the handle and pushed the door open, poking her head in at first, as if to test the waters.
There was Laura, smaller than she could've ever imagined, sat on the bed with her arms around Sarah. Kiden froze, not liking the feeling that rose up in her one bit, hands balling into fists. But she took the opportunity to look at Laura—when she'd woken up and found her next to her in bed, she hadn't been able to see her properly. The same went for when Sarah had called her back to the apartment; she'd moved quickly, allowing herself to become isolated in the room, and Kiden had been more interested in holding her head that rapidly felt like it was splitting apart together.
Kiden wanted to kick herself. Of course this was Laura. She was younger, but not entirely different—and with her arms around Sarah like that, she'd never be able to doubt that.
It took a lot for her to step into the room, but she did so anyway, closing the door behind her to signal that she was going to stay. After a moment, she shrugged her shoulders and said, “Hey, Laura. You okay?”
no subject
She attempted to convince herself that things would be fine, that she wasn't in such an emotional state that she had to get comfort from Sarah, but even she didn't believe what she was saying. This wasn't the kind of thing you could sleep off.
Laura wasn't Laura any more.
Throwing the bed covers off minutes after she crawled under them, Kiden grabbed a change of clothes and groggily dragged herself to the bathroom. Locking the door behind her and turning on the water as hot as it would go, she tossed her nightshirt on the floor, and stepped into the shower.
That should've cleared her mind, relaxed her a little. If nothing else, she could tell herself that her eyes were only red and stinging because soap had got into them—but once again, she wasn't doing a particularly good job of lying to herself.
When the heat of the water started making her feel dizzy, Kiden jumped out and towelled herself off quickly, running her fingers through her hair, but not bothering to either brush or dry it. She dressed and headed out of the room, leaving her nightshirt in a mess on the floor behind her, and had intended to go back to her room—for what she wasn't sure. To stare at the wall, most likely—but found herself stood outside of Karolina and Xavin's old room.
Which was now Laura's room, she supposed.
She pressed one hand against the door and kept it there for a long time, listening in. She heard nothing, and didn't know whether this was a good thing or not, but at least it meant that she wouldn't be interrupting any important conversations. Kiden turned the handle and pushed the door open, poking her head in at first, as if to test the waters.
There was Laura, smaller than she could've ever imagined, sat on the bed with her arms around Sarah. Kiden froze, not liking the feeling that rose up in her one bit, hands balling into fists. But she took the opportunity to look at Laura—when she'd woken up and found her next to her in bed, she hadn't been able to see her properly. The same went for when Sarah had called her back to the apartment; she'd moved quickly, allowing herself to become isolated in the room, and Kiden had been more interested in holding her head that rapidly felt like it was splitting apart together.
Kiden wanted to kick herself. Of course this was Laura. She was younger, but not entirely different—and with her arms around Sarah like that, she'd never be able to doubt that.
It took a lot for her to step into the room, but she did so anyway, closing the door behind her to signal that she was going to stay. After a moment, she shrugged her shoulders and said, “Hey, Laura. You okay?”