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A flash of lightning lights up the front door as Wraith approaches it. She memorized the area when Kairi had shown it to her during one of their matches saying her apartment was there. Afterward, Kairi told her exactly where it was, letting her know that if she ever needed anything, she was more than welcome to stop by. It isn’t that difficult for Wraith to take both pieces of information and find her way there, only that the distance from her hotel took some time.
A heavy exhale leaves her lips as she stands in front of the yellow door. Even in the low light, it’s not hard to make out the pastel paint. She raises her fist and knocks loudly, taking a step back and hugging her arms to her body. Now that she’s standing in front of Kairi’s place, the heavy rain falling down around her seems to click into her mind and she feels cold. Time ticks by and Wraith bites her lip, chewing on it as she stares at the door. ‘Maybe I should have called?’ She thinks to herself. But, the door opens and there stands Kairi in nothing but a sports bra and sweats.
“Wraith?” Kairi’s eyes widen as she sees her standing on her doorstep.
“Hey, Kairi.” Wraith smiles a little, “Can I come in?”
“Yeah! Yeah, come in.” She moves out of the way and hurriedly motions for her to come inside. Wraith walks inside, stepping off to the side and letting her close the door. A chill sweeps through her body and she trembles, hugging her arms tighter to herself.
“Oh my god, Wraith.” Kairi looks her over, her brown eyes filled with concern, “You’re completely soaked. Did you walk all the way here in the rain?”
“I…” Wraith looks down at her boots, feeling water run down her face and neck from her hair, “Yeah, I did. From my hotel.” She knows she must look like a messy sight. Her bangs are plastered to her face with her ponytail weighed down and falling out. Not to mention her clothes clinging to her body and restricting her movements. All dripping water onto her tile.
“Fuck. Okay.” She curses, letting out a breath, “Let me get you a towel. You head into the bathroom and get out of those clothes. All of them. I don’t want you to get sick because you decided to come see me. You can wear some of my clothes. I should have something that’ll fit you.”
“You have clothes that’ll fit me?” Wraith questions, raising her head curiously. She hopes she doesn’t come across as rude, but she is genuinely curious about it. She and Kairi don’t exactly have the same body type. While they both are close in height, Wraith is curvier than her leanier figure. Their difference in muscle added to that as well. Kairi is more of a gymnast in her physique, keeping her body as aerodynamic as possible for her jetpack. It’s a flattering look for her with her lean abs and muscles that Wraith has gotten a peek at in the locker rooms. So, she wasn’t really expecting anything Kairi had to fit her.
“You’d be surprised. We’re about the same size in a few things I have cause I like to wear oversized clothes. They’re more comfortable that way.” Kairi smiles and walks towards the bathroom, “Take your boots off and come here. Don’t worry about dripping on the tile. I’ll clean it up, okay? You can leave your wet clothes in the woven basket, and I’ll leave the towel hanging on the rack next to it for you.” She says before vanishing through the door, flicking the light on inside.
“Okay.” She nods, leaning down to take off her boots. Water drips down her face and the back of her neck, making her shiver. Out of everything, her socks and phone are the only things not drenched by the rain. Her boots and the lining of her pants pockets are waterproof. It’s something she made sure of when getting her clothes. She gets a glimpse of Kairi leaving the bathroom and crossing the living room into another room, likely her bedroom.
Once out of her boots, she heads for the bathroom and slips inside. True to her word, two fluffy white towels are hanging up on the rack. Wraith closes the door behind her and hesitates before deciding to leave it unlocked. Kairi isn’t the kind of person to enter without knocking, especially not when she knows she’ll be naked. She turns and catches her reflection in the mirror and frowns. She does look like a mess. With a sigh, she begins to take her clothes off, flinching at the water running down her body as she does. Not wanting to put her soaked clothes directly into the basket, she squeezes out the excess water before folding them up and putting them in.
A soft blush covers her cheeks when she realizes that she has to take her panties off, too. Kairi had said everything. Her blush only deepens as she slides the wet fabric down her legs, water running down with them. ‘I shouldn’t feel this embarrassed. It’s only Kairi and she’s a woman, too.’ Wraith tries to calm herself, but she tucks her panties between her clothes anyway. Wrapping herself up in the towel coaxes a blissful sigh from her lips as her body immediately begins to warm up. Reaching up, she pulls her hair out of its ponytail, yelping as a bunch of water splashes down on her neck.
“Fuck, that’s cold.” She rubs the water off and grabs the smaller towel, bending over and wrapping her hair up in it. Just in time for a knock at the door.
“You decent?” Kairi asks.
“Yeah.” Wraith responds and opens the door. Kairi stands there with a bundle of clothes in her arms. She was no longer just in her sports bra, but wearing a Wicked Stars band t-shirt over it. That makes her smile.
“You listen to Wicked Stars?” She asks, taking the clothes from her. Kairi’s eyes flick down to her shirt and she grins.
“Hell yeah! They’re the band I’d listen to all the time while piloting. They’ve got great songs. Why? You listen to them, too?”
“I do.” Wraith nods, “Their Star Hunter album is one of my favorites. I listen to it when I work out.”
“Sick! Not a lot of people know about them since they’re underground. You should show me your favorite songs from them when you have the time.” She steps back, “Now I’ll let you change. Put the towels in the basket, too. I’ll wait for you on the couch.”
Wraith retreats into the bathroom and places the clothes on the countertop. Lifting the item on top, she realizes it’s a hoodie as it unravels. She smiles at the deep purple color and the words She’s a Dead Girl Walking scrawled across it in a calligraphy font she recognized. ‘Is everything she owns band merch?’ Her fingers trace the letters then she shifts it to the side to see a pair of boxer briefs underneath it. Checking the tag, a disbelieving chuckle leaves her lips when she sees that it is actually her size. She tries not to think too much about it as she pulls them on, followed quickly by the black sweats and socks she finds tucked in the pockets. ‘That already helps warm up my body and I haven’t even put the hoodie on yet.’ She sighs in relief, reaching up to undo the towel around her hair. Her damp hair falls down, brushing over the top of her shoulder blades and leaving a chill where it touches. It encourages her to quickly pull the hoodie over her head and tug her hair through it to get it off her skin.
Fully enveloped in a warmth that makes her feel content, Wraith can’t help taking in a deep breath but there’s something that catches her attention. A pleasantly spicy yet sweet scent. She lowers her nose, lifting the collar of the hoodie up as she inhales and it clicks. The smell is coming from Kairi’s clothes. She feels her face heat up, realizing that she’s smelling her clothes and if Kairi were to see her that would definitely be weird. Wraith grabs the towels and hurriedly folds them, dropping them into the basket with her clothes, before snatching her phone off the countertop and grabbing the doorknob. Her phone vibrates in her hand and she glances at it to see notifications coming in from her socials. She shakes her head and tucks it into the hoodie pocket before opening the door and stepping out of the bathroom.
“Damn, Wraith. You look better in my clothes than I do.” Kairi flirts, her eyes on her as she walks over. There’s a show playing on the TV, but Wraith spies a book open on her lap that catches her interest. Kairi’s legs are stretched out across the couch with a blanket draped over them.
“Do you say that to all the women you give your clothes to?” Wraith asks, taking a seat on the couch as she pulls her legs back.
“Ah… Heh, you’re the only woman I’ve given my clothes to.” She blushes, closing the book on her lap and placing it on the table next to her, “So, no, just you.”
“Oh.” Wraith feels her face heat up as she fidgets with the hoodie collar, “W-Well, thank you. For letting me wear your clothes and the compliment.”
“It’s no problem, really. I wasn’t going to let you get sick.” She shifts in her seat so she’s facing her, “So, why did you come here? I’m not saying you can’t be here. I’m just concerned why you’d show up at my front door in the middle of a thunderstorm without a warning.” Her eyes are filled with concern and it makes Wraith’s stomach flutter nervously. She looks down, her hair falling into her face now that it’s no longer being held back.
“I… couldn’t sleep. When I managed to fall asleep I’d dream that I was back in that facility. Back in that-” Her throat closes up and she takes in a shaky breath.
“Hey.” Kairi’s voice comes out softly, making her look up, “You don’t have to tell me.”
“I didn’t want to be alone and you’re the only person I could think of. There’s no one else I can really go to with this where I’d feel… comfortable.” Wraith runs a hand through her hair, letting out a sigh, “I mean, yeah, there’s Elliott… but I can’t go to him for this. This isn’t something he’s able to handle. He’s not…”
“Mature enough?” She offers. Wraith nods.
“I don’t know. You just…” Wraith hesitates, “feel like a safe option. I know we haven’t talked much, but I feel close to you.”
“I’m glad you feel comfortable enough with me to come here.” Kairi smiles, “You’re more than welcome to spend the night. I offered that and I’m not taking it back.”
“Thank you.” Wraith exhales, letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.
“Do you want to watch something together? I have like… every streaming platform known to existence.” Kairi grins, picking up the remote next to her, “What do you like?”
“Hmm, when I can’t sleep I normally watch horror movies.”
“Horror movies?” Kairi gives her a look.
“They’re my favorite.”
“You’re not helping your dark and mysterious persona.” She jokes, wiggling her fingers at her. Wraith breathes out a laugh, a small smile on her lips as Kairi turns to the screen. “Horror movies it is. I wasn’t looking to sleep tonight anyway.”
“Do you not like horror movies?”
“Nah, I love them. My favorite is Alien. It hits a liiittle too close as a pilot, but it’s a good one.”
“Oh, I love that one.” Wraith perks up, catching Kairi’s attention, “Can we watch that one?”
“Absolutely!” She enthusiastically agrees. They spend the next few minutes rambling to each other about the movie and what they like about it. Once Kairi finds it, she grabs another blanket and tosses it over Wraith who snuggles up underneath it. They take a little longer with Kairi grabbing snacks out of the kitchen, sparking another conversation about what kind of snacks Wraith likes. The first topic is popcorn.
“I knew you were an extreme butter kind of woman!” Kairi exclaims as Wraith laughs, “But nooo, Elliott told me you liked cheddar!”
“Cheddar? That’s his favorite! It’s not my go-to popcorn when it’s time to sit and watch a movie.”
“I think I’m falling in love with you.” She fake swoons, dramatically falling onto the couch after putting the bowl down, “Next you’re going to tell me you like putting M&M's in it.”
“Well…” Wraith grins and Kairi looks over at her with a surprised face.
“You’re serious?!” She shouts and Wraith nods, “WRAAIITH!” She practically squeals and throws herself onto the other woman’s lap.
“What are you doing?!” Wraith laughs as Kairi wraps her arms around her waist.
“I love you.” She grins up at her with the stupidest smile on her face.
“All because I put candy in my popcorn?”
“Yes.”
“And people call me the crazy one.” Wraith muses and then flinches, blinking down at the silver-haired woman in shock, “Did you just flick my forehead?”
“Bad. No calling yourself crazy. You’re not crazy. You’re just different in a very cute, gothic, and deadly way.” Kairi taps her nose, “Who doesn’t want a girlfriend who hears voices that warn her of impending doom? I know I would.”
“I…Kairi.” Wraith breathes out her name in disbelief, gazing into her eyes which are so full of sincerity that she momentarily forgets where she is.
“It’s true.” She huffs, “You’re sexy as fuck, Wraith. I don’t give a fuck about your memory issues or the voices or whatever other issue. From what I know about you, you’re perfect. Shit, you’d be my perfect woman if you were gay.” She laughs and gets up as the toaster oven goes off. Wraith watches her walk to the kitchen, her heartbeat racing in her chest as she puts some space between the two of them.
“What about me do you find perfect?” She asks curiously, fidgeting with the sleeves.
“What isn’t?” Kairi scoffs, moving around as she likely plates the pizza. “First of all, you’re absolutely beautiful. That nose piercing? Ugh, adds to it. It was a great choice. Your voice sends shivers through me. Especially during our matches when you sneak up behind me. Not to mention you have a brilliant mind. You might not have your memories, but even without them, I can tell you were incredibly smart. I can believe you were a Science Pilot. You take my breath away.” She comes back over to the couch with two plates in one hand and two glasses in the other. She hands one plate to Wraith and places the cups down before taking a seat.
“That’s… a lot. No one has said that to me before.” Wraith looks down at the steaming slices of pizza. “It feels nice to hear. The nose piercing was something I did as a way to reclaim my body. A way to make my body my own again.”
“It suits you.” She says and they share a smile between them. Kairi takes a bite out of her pizza and Wraith’s eyes widen.
“Kairi! Are you insane?!”
“Wha-?” She mumbles while chewing, her brows furrowed with a cute, confused look on her face.
“You just took that out of the oven!”
“Mm!” Kairi perks up and swallows, “I’ve had to rush to eat one too many times so it doesn’t bother me anymore.” She follows that up by taking another bite.
“That’s called burning off the nerves in your mouth.” Wraith snorts, “You should get that checked out.”
“If I take a bite out of you and nothing happens then I will.”
“Why?” She raises an eyebrow.
“Because you’re so damn hot, I’m burning up.”
“Oh, my god. You did not just say that.”
“I did, baby. So what? You’re smiling so I couldn’t have been that bad.”
“Start the movie, Kairi. Before I take a bite out of you.” Wraith jokes back.
“Yes, ma’am.” Kairi chuckles, clicking on the play button as she turns off the lamp next to her. The apartment falls into darkness, illuminated by the television in front of them. Wraith eats her pizza and curls up under the blankets, getting lost in the movie as time goes on. The only time her attention shifts is when Kairi suddenly says that she can come closer to her if she’d like to. Wraith had turned her down at first but found herself moving closer. Eventually, she is tucked into Kairi’s side, with her arm wrapped around her as they watch the chestburster scene.
“That’s so freaky.” Wraith and Kairi say in unison and laugh when they realize it.
They share a bag of chocolate and when Kairi offers her a piece, the caramel-filled treat held between her fingers, Wraith playfully eats it out of her hand. Her tongue instinctively licking any stray caramel off of Kairi’s fingers. Other than that, she was glued to the screen. Even as their fingers brush together in the popcorn bowl or when Kairi absentmindedly strokes the warm, exposed skin of her hip underneath the blanket. She didn’t catch the way it made her heartbeat pick up or her skin tingle.
Wraith continues to focus as she snuggles closer, inhaling the spicy and sweet scent coming from Kairi. Except it’s much stronger than what was on the clothes she gave her. Much more comforting. That, along with the combined heat of the blankets and Kairi’s body slowly lull her to sleep. She’s still facing the screen as she succumbs to it. The screeching of the Xenomorph as it chases after Ripley is the last thing she hears.
So, when she wakes up chest to chest with Kairi she’s startled and embarrassed. It takes her sleep-addled mind a moment to catch up with her predicament. Her hands are under Kairi’s shirt with one squeezing her tit while the other rests on her abs. The warmth of her skin feels so pleasant against her normally cold hands. As her mind snaps into awareness, Wraith realizes she’s not the only one who got handsy in her sleep. She feels her face start to heat up and she buries her face in Kairi’s neck. There’s no way to ignore the feeling of Kairi’s hands on her ass. The fabric of the briefs is thin and the heat from her hands practically feels like they’re burning her skin.
‘Do I wake her up? I can’t move my hands because of the way she’s holding me. She’d wake up to me groping her…’ The thought of that mortified her. Either way, she couldn’t get out of Kairi’s grasp without waking her up in the process.
“Wraith?” Kairi’s voice, low, rumbly, and thick with sleep is loud in her ear. Her breathing hitches, her grip tightening as a rush of heat goes through her.
“Wraith? Are you awake?” Kairi mumbles, shifting and squeezing Wraith’s ass in the process, “What the…?” She hears her whisper confusedly.
Wraith turns her head so she’s not muffled by her neck, “I am… Um, how did we end up like this?” Her voice comes out deeper than normal, rumbling in her chest and startling her a bit. She’s never heard herself speak so soon after waking up. Not like this.
“You fell asleep towards the end of the movie, so I moved you to a more comfortable position. I meant to get up when it ended but I fell asleep, too.” She says, turning her head to look at her, “I don’t know how we ended up like this, though.”
They lay there in silence, thinking on her words for a moment. Wraith can’t help but enjoy the feeling of Kairi’s body pressed up against her. The warmth radiating from her just feels so wonderful. It makes her head feel fuzzy.
“Kairi?” She whispers shyly.
“Yeah?”
“Can we… stay like this a little longer? You’re warm.” She waits for a response, growing nervous as the seconds tick by. She feels Kairi chuckle sleepily and squeeze her closer.
“Sure, ghost girl, we can. I don’t have anything to do right now.” Kairi responds and she smiles, nuzzling her face into her neck. Blissfully overcome by the situation, she misses the way Kairi tenses and the way her heartbeat stutters in her chest at the gesture.
“Thanks, angel.” She mumbles against her neck, her hot breath sending shivers down Kairi’s spine.
“You’re welcome.” Kairi whispers, swallowing hard as her body temperature rises. There was no way she was going back to sleep after this, especially not with how Wraith never let go of her boob. She’s squeezing it in her hand like it’s a squishy stress ball. Kairi licks her lips and looks down at her. She called her an angel, but she looks like one when she’s asleep. This is going to be a long time considering she can’t reach anything to distract her. So, she closes her eyes and hopes that she falls asleep.
The shrill ringing of her phone has Wraith jumping awake and rushing to untangle herself from Kairi. She didn’t get phone calls often, because everyone knew that she preferred to text unless it was necessary. So she didn’t hide the grumpiness in her voice at being forcibly woken up and torn away from the comfortable position she was in.
“What the fuck do you want?” She grumbles, her voice giving away that she had been asleep.
“It’s after Season Launch hangout day!” Elliott’s voice comes in sounding very exasperated, “Where are you?! You know we always meet up for smoothies after a Game! Pathy is very sad that you bailed on us.” It doesn’t seem like he noticed her tone, and if he did, he doesn’t comment on it. There’s the distant sound of Pathfinder's voice in the background, and Elliott shushing him.
“Shit, it’s that late already?” Wraith looks at the clock on Kairi’s wall, her eyes widening when she sees that it’s the early afternoon, “Sorry, guys. I didn’t hear my alarms go off. I’ll make it up to you later.”
“Well, unfortunately for you this place has the most amazing smoothies. I’ve already had like four of them.”
“Do they?” She says blankly.
“Yeah! They-”
“Who are you talking to?” Kairi’s voice has her turning to see her gazing at her through half-open eyes. She nestles the phone in the crook of her neck and does jazz hands. Kairi nods her head in understanding, her eyes drifting to the clock.
“-think you’ll like that one, too.”
“What’s the smoothie called?”
“It’s called Berry Breeze. So basically it has-”
“I’m going to make some lunch. I’m starving and if I don’t eat something I might just start gnawing at your leg.” Kairi stands up, making Wraith stop breathing, “You hungry? I’ll make you a sandwich, too.” She nods. Kairi’s shirt is crumpled up, one side tucked into her sports bra and showing off her underboob. Leaving her with an easy view of her blemish-free skin and a peek of her waistband from under her sweats. Wraith feels her mouth salivate as she tears her eyes away from her abs.
“Sounds good.” She responds to Kairi, swallowing as she tries to clear her mind. ‘I must be that hungry.’ She thinks as her stomach growls.
“Exactly! So you really need to come try the place out!” Elliott replied instead. Kairi flashes her a grin as she fixes her shirt and heads for the kitchen.
“What’s it called?” She asks, whirling around as she tears her eyes from Kairi’s ass, “The smoothie place.”
“Oh, uuuhhh Emory’s Smoothies. It’s on-”
“Okay, great. I’ll meet you guys there tomorrow at the same time. Bye, Elliott.” Wraith cuts him off, hanging up her phone as he begs her not to. She tosses it onto the couch and lets out a sigh. If she didn’t get him off the phone as soon as she could, she’d be on there forever.
“Is there anything you don’t like on your sandwiches?” Kairi asks her from the kitchen.
“No. Unless you’re about to pull out something weird I’ve never had before.” Wraith walks over and sees her assembling two sandwiches. Various food items are laid out on the countertop including a container of Flyer meat, which has her raising an eyebrow.
“How’d you get your hands on that?” She motions to it, “Isn’t it like $12 a pound?”
“I got a deal on it.” Kairi winks, taking some of it out and laying it onto the already stacked pile, “I’ve got connections in places you wouldn’t even realize after smuggling for so many years. People who owe me and will continue to owe me.”
“That must be useful.” She hops up into a barstool, watching her hands work, “Do you… have any IMC contacts?” It wasn’t something she should be asking, but she couldn’t help herself. Her search is her search, and she already roped Anita and Elliott into it. Including Kairi, too…? The tendons and veins in Kairi’s hands catch her attention as she picks up a knife. ‘She has such nice hands. They always look so…nice when she’s holding weapons.’ She thinks, losing her previous train of thought.
“Yeah, I have quite a few. A couple of them led me to my dad’s body by Typhon after I did some runs for them.” Kairi places a delicious-looking sandwich in front of her, “I’ve been poking around for a lead for you.” She gives Wraith a crooked smile.
“You’ve been- Seriously?” Wraith gasps, leaning forward, “When did you start doing that? How do you even know what to ask for?”
“Anita mentioned some things to me one evening while we were hanging out.” She admits, sitting down next to her with a grin, “Said you were trying really hard to find information about your past and she felt bad she couldn’t help much. I thought it couldn’t hurt.” She takes a bite out of her sandwich.
Wraith looks down at hers, feeling stunned. She hadn’t asked Kairi for help but here she is helping her anyway. All because she has the means to. Wraith feels her heart flutter as she picks up her sandwich. It’s warm beneath her fingertips with the melted cheese and sauce dripping down the meat and veggies. Her stomach growls just looking at it and she takes a bite before she knows it. And nearly moans at the taste.
“What the fuck, Kairi?” She groans, the taste of the sandwich practically bursting on her tongue, “How can a sandwich taste this good?”
“I’m just that good.” Kairi winks.
“This is better than stuff I’ve bought.” She says seriously, eagerly taking another bite.
“It’s all about the flavor combinations. I spend a lot of time messing around in the kitchen when I get bored. I helped my mom a lot as a kid, so it’s a way to destress for me. I’m glad you like it.” Kairi looks a little vulnerable as she says this, making Wraith pause, “I don’t get to make food for other people. Not unless I visit my mom.”
“Well… if you want someone to make food for, I wouldn’t mind you making this for me.” Wraith suggests, licking the tomato juice from her lips, “If you’d like.”
“I’d like that.” Kairi has a content smile on her face that turns into a mischievous one, “If it means I get to watch you lick your lips like that again.” The sound that leaves Wraith’s mouth is nothing short of embarrassing. She sucks in air as she tries to swallow what’s in her mouth in a rush to respond. She coughs, hitting her chest as she chokes, reaching for her glass of water.
“Oh, shit!” Kairi laughs beside her as she downs the glass.
“I hate you!” Wraith rasps out, her throat burning as she blushes, “That flirting is going to get you in trouble one day.”
“Trouble?” She raises an eyebrow as they make eye contact. Her dark brown eyes catch the sunlight coming in through the window and turn a beautiful amber.
“Yeah.” Wraith clears her throat, trying to get rid of the rasp, “Yeah, I’m going to get you back for it.”
“I’ll be waiting for the day, gorgeous.” She lifts her hand to her face, licking a drop of tomato juice off of her index finger. Wraith pays too much attention to the way her tongue glides up, flattening out as it reaches the top before vanishing back between her lips.
“So, what smoothie place was Elliott telling you about?” Kairi tilts her head, snapping her out of her staring.
“Um, a place called Emory’s. He said it’s like the best and really wants me to try it out. Normally we go out to eat or something after the first match of the new season. Pathy started the tradition. It’s what he called me about.”
“Emory’s is okay, but it isn’t the greatest.” She shakes her head, “If you want the best smoothies, I can take you to FruityCloud. They do boba and their smoothies are to die for.”
“FruityCloud? Are you sure that’s not a new nickname for yourself?” Wraith jokes.
“Oh, so the ghost of Apex has jokes.” Kairi chuckles, resting her head in her hand, “Who would have thought? Is there anything else I should know?”
“I don’t know. Is there?” She asks as they stare at each other.
“Well, you obviously like feeling people up while they sleep.” Kairi says casually. Wraith freezes. She had been ripped out of her sleep so abruptly that she forgot all about that.
“I could say the same thing about you.” She huffs, crossing her arms, “I mean you had a good grip on my ass.”
“It was not intentional.” Kairi raises her hands in surrender, “But, you have a really nice ass.”
“Thank you… you have really nice boobs.”
“I would have to agree with you myself. They are pretty nice. You’re welcome to grope them any time you’d like.” She purrs playfully.
“You’re so annoying.” Wraith laughs, shaking her head with a sigh.
“You love me.” Kairi nudges her with her foot. Suddenly an alarm goes off and Kairi sighs, getting out of her chair and picking her phone up. It goes silent as she stands there looking down at her phone.
“I’ve got to get ready for my own party. You’re welcome to hang around until I leave.” She looks at her, “I’m enjoying your company.”
“I’ll hang around.” Wraith says, feeling happy that Kairi likes having her there.
“Awesome! Hey, maybe you can help me figure out what to wear to this thing.”
Wraith spent the next hour helping Kairi figure out what to wear to the party. She learned that the woman was very particular about how she dressed. She had an idea, of course, but to see her thought process was completely different. Kairi loved to dress in style and Wraith found it attractive. Especially when she got to sit there and watch her try on each outfit. Embarrassedly, Wraith was startled by the voices laughing and telling her to wipe the drool off her mouth. She was lucky Kairi had her back turned. Once they settled on something, Kairi showed her all the various clothing options she had. They even had a few brands in common. Ones that Wraith didn’t expect Kairi to like.
“Oh, Lunar Flare? I love their stuff. I’ve seen you wear their brand a lot, and they sponsor you in the Games consistently. I haven’t had the chance to wear this jacket yet because I don’t really have anything to match it.” Kairi frowns, pulling a dark blue leather jacket out, “It was an impulse purchase. Maybe you’ll get more use out of it. Try it on.”
“What? No.” Wraith holds up her hands, “Kairi, I couldn’t- that jacket is easily five hundred.”
“Duh! Which is why it shouldn’t be sitting in my closet collecting dust.” She shoves it into her hands and smirks, “Go on. Try it on.”
Wraith lets out a breath and with a little effort, takes off the hoodie she’s wearing and places it on the bed. Kairi makes a noise, her eyes going wide as she averts her gaze to the side.
“You know, I know you’ve got a bigger chest but your outfits for the Games really keep it contained.” She says, her voice coming out a little strained.
“Comfort and support is my priority, and I don’t want to have to worry about my boobs while fighting.” Wraith responds, pulling the jacket on and shivering at the feeling of the cool leather on her skin. She turns to the mirror and with her hair messy and down, no shirt on underneath and the sweats—she looks hot as hell.
“You rock that as well as I thought you would.” Kairi puts a hand on her hip, “Maybe I need to take you out to bars with me and have you be my wingman.”
“But you won’t get any women approaching you.” Wraith tucks her hands into her pockets, smirking at her, “They’ll be too busy talking to me.”
“Ooohhh, you think you can top me when it comes to the ladies?” She points at herself, a matching smirk on her face, “Me? The ladykiller of Apex?”
“Think?” Wraith turns and gets close to her, “I know I can, ladykiller. You don’t see what goes on when I’m at the bars alone.”
“Are you saying you’re pulling pussy on the low without any of us knowing, ghost girl?” Kairi steps closer, now they’re face to face, and Wraith’s hands twitch. The urge to reach out and grab her by the face and kiss her is overwhelming.
“If I said yes, what would you say, angel?” She whispers, her heart thudding in her chest, “Would you look at me differently?”
“I-” Kairi starts when her phone rings. She jolts, letting out a curse as she whips around and races over to it.
“Ramya! What’s up?” She answers cheerfully. Wraith’s lips twitch and she turns back to the mirror, admiring how she looks in the jacket a bit more. ‘I wonder what she was going to say before she was interrupted.’ The tension in the moment had been intense and she had been seconds away from messing things up, Since she showed up at Kairi’s, she’s been feeling so comfortable and safe. It’s like being around her, being close to her is soothing. The sleep she had in her arms was the best sleep she’s had in years.
“I’ve got to head out.” Kairi’s voice pulls her from her thoughts.
“Okay, let me put the hoodie back on and I’ll head out.” Wraith says, already letting the leather jacket slip off.
“Yeah, sorry, they’ll kill me if I’m late…” Her voice is airy as Wraith catches her eyes practically glued to her chest. With a smirk, she pulls the hoodie on and picks up the other jacket, carefully draping it over her arm. She suddenly feels insecure standing in front of Kairi, knowing what she’s about to say. Her nightmare from last night pops into her mind. The reason she had made the trip here in the pouring rain. And Kairi had been so kind to let her in without hesitation—soaked clothes and all.
“Thank you for letting me stay the night, even if I did show up unannounced.” Wraith fidgets on her feet, looking anywhere but at Kairi, “I… really needed it and it really helped. I’ll bring your clothes back after I wash them.”
“Keep them. Like I said last night, they look good on you.” Kairi’s gaze is soft when Wraith finally has the courage to meet her eyes, “My door is always open to you. Even if you show up unannounced. The spare key is wedged under the light fixture above the door. So, if I’m ever not home you can let yourself in.”
“Kai-” Wraith’s eyes widen.
Kairi shakes her head, running a hand through her hair, and gives a gentle smile, “It’s either that or I leave it unlocked.”
Wraith exhales and gives her a wobbly smile in return, “Thank you.”
Blood runs down her arm as she chokes on her scream, a molten fire rolling through her veins as the needles repeatedly stab at her nerves.
“PLEASE!” She screams unwillingly, the pain becoming too much as a needle goes in too deep, “PLEASE STOP!”
But they won’t. They never do.
“Have you been sleeping?” Elliott frowns the moment he sees her. Wraith scowls around her straw, swallowing the sweet drink she had been busy trying to finish before he arrived. Turns out she failed that.
“I don’t know Elliott, have I?” She snaps, arching a brow with more attitude than even Anita could muster. And by the way, Elliott flinches, she knows that she’s definitely not in the best of moods. How could she be when she hadn’t slept in over two weeks? The past few matches have been a haze of blood and gore. Of gunfire and explosives, or muffled screams and breaking bones.
“Chill out, I was just asking a question.” He raises his hands in surrender, “There’s no need to go all crazy over one little thing.” He mutters and then stiffens.
Wraith stops breathing. Her ears ringing as she processes what he says. She doesn’t even think before she’s moving, flashing in front of him with her fist balled up and flying as her mind becomes a haze.
She feels more than hears the crack of his nose under her fist. Watches the way his head rocks back and he stumbles, crying out in pain as he lifts his hands to clutch at his face. She growls. Growls like a wild animal. Her hands trembling as she bares her teeth at him.
“Wraith?” His voice is shaky and fearful, just like the look in his eyes as blood drips through his fingers.
“I’m crazy, Elliott?” She practically snarls. She clenches her fists so tight she feels blood run down her palms.
“Y-You know I didn’t mean that- I was just- I-”
“Save it for somebody who cares.” She says coldly, turning and vanishing through a portal, not caring about the fact that she was supposed to be meeting up with a whole group of people today. Elliott can explain to them why she isn’t there. She needs to leave. To be anywhere but near him lest she give in to the murderous thoughts in her head and kill him.
Kairi’s apartment looks different during the day. Warmer, more lively with the flower boxes out front, and yet still just as intimidating. Wraith knows from scrolling through her social media that Kairi is currently out practicing her aerials. She normally livestreams them on Fridays and does a Q&A with her followers. It’s something Wraith finds cute. Sometimes she likes to join in and lurk, listening to what she has to say and seeing how her fans react to her. It gives her something to listen to when she’s caught up on her podcasts or not in the mood to listen to music.
Reaching up and dislodging the spare key from between the ceiling and the fixture, Wraith struggles to let herself into the apartment as she fights to still her shaky hands. She growls in frustration, taking in a deep breath and holding it in for a few seconds. Slowly, she lets it out and puts the key in the lock while she’s focusing on it. With the door open, she puts the key back where she took it from and steps inside.
The smell of some kind of incense hits her and her gaze is drawn to the side table by the door when she sees her name. She closes the door and locks it, curiously walking over to an envelope that has her name scrawled over it. She turns it over and pops it open, pulling the paper inside of it out and unfolds it: “Wraith, I don’t know when you’ll find this but I’m likely out of the apartment if you do. I left a change of clothes for you in the bathroom. You can shower if you’d like. There’s stuff in there for you, but you don’t have to. Your clothes from last time are there, too. I washed them for you and put them in the closet. You can thank me later with another movie night. Maybe we can watch Alien 2? Anyway, there are also snacks for you in the pantry and you’re free to have anything from the fridge. Yes, even my ice cream. Have at it until I get home. Call me! Or don’t. I’ll like the surprise ;) -Kairi.”
“She knew I’d come by when she’s not here.” She mutters, smiling down at the note, her rage from earlier no longer at the forefront of her mind. The urge to curl up and be safe consumes her and she puts the note down, taking her shoes off and tucking them in Kairi’s shoe rack before heading into the bathroom.
The feeling pulls her along like a tide. Across the living room and into the bathroom where she’s greeted by the clothes Kairi told her about. Once in there, she strips before the door is fully closed. A familiar fluffy white towel is draped over the towel rack and she smiles as she leans into the shower to turn the water on.
The shower head hisses to life, water spraying out of it as she moves out of the way of the cold stream. She picks up her phone and pulls her Stargram up, pressing on Kairi’s stream the moment it loads up on the screen. With a couple of clicks of the volume button, she steps into the steaming shower to release the tension in her body.
“I’m currently taking a break because we’re reaching peak hours here on Gaea, and it’s important to stay hydrated.” Kairi’s voice sounds over the water, “So I have more than enough time to answer your questions now that I’m not doing loop-de-loops.”
Wraith snorts.
“How am I after my breakup with Loba? Guys, you ask me this question every week.” She laughs and Wraith can imagine how she looks in front of the camera—her flight suit all messy, her hair tousled from the wind, and her face glistening with sweat. The same way she’d look after a match.
“I’m doing great! Honestly, I’m enjoying myself and having a wonderful time with more freedom to do things I want to do. It’s been relaxing.”
Wraith grabs the body wash Kairi left for her and pauses. It’s her regular one. How did Kairi know which one she used? It’s not something they’ve talked about before. She feels herself blush as she pops it open and squeezes it out onto a washcloth.
The smell of apple blossoms fills the air and starts to bring her nerves down.
“How do I get my skin so clear?” Kairi’s voice helps her avoid zoning out as she washes herself, “Honestly, that one is because of my skincare routine. I’ve got to take good care of my skin being exposed to the sun and wind like this. I can show you what I use once I get back to my apartment.”
That makes Wraith smile even though her chest feels so heavy. Kairi will be coming back here soon.
She rinses off as Kairi continues to ramble about her skincare when her fans manage to convince her to talk about it more. The rush to towel off and get into the clothes Kairi had given her, to stay warm, to feel comfortable, kept her preoccupied enough that she missed a few things said. But once she is dressed in a hoodie that falls past her fingertips and smells strongly of Kairi, she picks up her phone and exits the bathroom.
The first thing she does is wrap herself up tightly in the blanket on the couch. She tries to drown out the flashbacks that ebb at the edge of her vision and focus on the TV and the sound of Kairi’s voice but it’s not enough. It’s not safe enough. Not safe.
Her chest feels tight.
Wraith throws herself up off the couch, snatches up her phone as the blanket falls away, and phases. The familiar crackling of her void energy across her skin brings some calm until she steps out of it. The trembling of her body and the quickness of her breath as she hazily stumbles towards Kairi’s bed is all she can register.
She’s not really thinking as she crawls under the soft covers. Her fingers clutch at them, drawing them up to her chin as she cocoons herself in the gray fabric. The smell of sakura blossoms and ginger is nearly suffocating, and Wraith shoves her face further into the pillows. Closer to the scent that’s so comforting. So safe.
Her eyes hurt, and she knows it’s because she’s squeezing them shut too tightly. But the tears aren’t stopping and she rather feel like she’s suffocating in this sweet scent than her own misery.
“Sorry, guys! I don’t know what happened there, but the audio is back now.” Kairi’s voice suddenly sounds in the quiet room and makes Wraith sob harder, “Awe, guys. I didn’t know you missed my voice that much. It’s not like I left or anything. I was here the whole time.” She laughs.
Wraith finds that to be oddly comforting.
“Wraith? Wraith? Wake up, ghost girl… You need to eat something. It’s way too late for you to continue sleeping on an empty stomach, babe.”
“Mmm, hello…angel.” Wraith mutters as she opens her eyes and sees Kairi kneeling beside her. Kairi brushes her hair out of her face, her hand moving down to softly caress her wet cheek with a soft look on her face. The movement is gentle and done with such delicate motions that Wraith’s deliriously sleep-addled mind doesn’t realize she’s awake.
“Hey there.” She greets her with a teasing tone, “You look real comfy. I found you like this when I got home. Is there something you want to tell me?” She tilts her head, her lips pulling up into a grin as her eyes wander down.
“You look like you want to kiss me.” Wraith sleepily states, shifting so her head rests on her arms.
“What?” Kairi blinks, a blush creeping up onto her cheeks.
“You look like you want to kiss me.” She repeats, leaning closer with a mischievous smile, “So you should just do it.”
“Wraith. Do you know you’re awake right now?” Kairi looks at her as she caresses her face in return, “That you’re in my apartment and in my bed?”
Wraith freezes, blinking slowly as she looks at Kairi’s face in the lamplight. It takes a bit longer than she’d like, but her memory of earlier comes back to her. Of Ajay’s phone call asking her to meet up for lunch at a café and her deciding to join since she was nearby. Elliott’s fuck-up… again. And then coming here in the haze that filled her mind because she needed somewhere safe to go.
“Fuck.” Wraith groans and turns onto her back, her head aching out of nowhere, “I am now.”
“Are you okay? I heard from Ajay that you broke Elliott’s nose. What happened?”
“What happened is that he called me fucking crazy all because I snapped at him and I shoved my fist in his face.” She huffs, seeing the way Kairi’s expression changes from one of concern to anger in her peripheral vision. Everyone knows how she feels about that word. Or anything close to it having to do with her mental state. It’s just… too triggering for her. This is the first time someone’s been angry for her though.
“Then he deserved it.” Kairi rolls her eyes, “I wasn’t going to defend him anyway. You’re not the type of person to fight for no reason.”
“The nightmares just won’t leave me alone, Kai.” She blurts out all of a sudden, feeling tears spring into her eyes, “I haven’t had a good night's sleep since I left your place. All I dream about is the facility. What they did to me there. And I can’t get them to stop. Laying here is the only time I’ve had any relief.” Her tears feel like acid as they fall, burning her skin as her head pounds.
“Wraith…” Kairi breathes out, wiping her tears away, “I’m here. I’m here for you.”
Wraith grabs her hand and looks up at her, her wet lashes making her look so adorable to Kairi in such a sad situation. She was tired of feeling this way. But mainly, all she wants right now is to hear the truth from Kairi.
“Am I crazy?” Her voice doesn’t come out any louder than a whisper. There’s a silence between them as Wraith searches her eyes for an answer.
“Of course not.” Kairi whispers back, resting her forehead against hers, “I’ve told you this before. I’d love to have a girlfriend like you. What you go through doesn’t make you crazy. It makes you the strongest woman alive.”
That’s all she needed.
All she wanted to hear.
“Kiss me.” Wraith begs, tilting her head back into the pillows, “Please, Kairi. Kiss me.”
“When you beg me like that...” She murmurs, leaning in, “there’s no way I can say no.”
Their lips meet and more tears escape from Wraith’s eyes. Kairi kisses her with so much gentleness, caressing her face with one hand and wrapping the other arm around her to keep her close. She drapes her arms around her shoulders and pulls her closer, driven by the need to feel her against her body. Her heart aches to be held. To be embraced. To feel safe in Kairi’s arms as she whispers sweet nothings to her.
“Please hold me.” She whispers brokenly, blinking back the tears that threaten to fall.
“Promise me you’ll eat once you feel secure enough to sit up?” Kairi asks softly, moving under the covers without protest as she’s already in her pajamas.
Wraith nods.
“Thank you.” Kairi presses a kiss to her temple, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her to her chest, “Now, relax. I’ve got you.” Wraith snuggles up to her, getting as close as possible. She buries her face into her neck, clutching her shirt in her hands as she feels her grasp around her tighten.
“You make me feel safe.” She whispers against her skin, feeling warm and content, “Thank you.”
“Anything for you, ghost girl.” Kairi kisses her head, “I wish I could have helped sooner.”
“Will you be my girlfriend?” Wraith questions out of nowhere, “I’ve liked you for a while now and I just… there’s never a right time to ask.”
“Would I be holding you like this if I didn’t want to be?” She chuckles, “How many times do I have to say I'd like a girlfriend like you for it to stick? You’re mine, Wraith.”
“Renee.”
“Huh?”
“My real name… It’s Renee.”
“…You’re mine, Renee.” Kairi smiles, her heart fluttering at being trusted with this information.
Hearing her name being said with such love makes Wraith smile. For once, she genuinely feels safe and it’s in Kairi’s arms.