(Headcanon content; disabled!Laudna, alternate timeline, canon divergent. No beta, we live and die like Bor’Dor on this one. I just needed to bring her to life. This is just one iteration. There will be others. Thanks for indulging.)
It’s early. Or it’s late. They weren’t quite sure. It’s definitely night, that much is certain.
There’s a light rain falling, harder in the treetops but mitigated as it falls here in front of the tiny porch adorning this small cottage. There’s a single lantern lit on the table that’s fixed between two wicker rocking chairs, with the chair on the right closest to the front door occupied by one of the two women who own this home.
As Laudna sits there, she holds a hot cup of coffee between her hands in front of her face. Her feet are propped up on a wooden stool directly in front of her, crossed at the ankle, right over left. She has a leg brace on her left leg, from her thigh down to her ankle, and there is a cane resting against the side of the table to her right.
The door behind her opens, and Imogen emerges holding her own cup of coffee. She closes the door, leaving just a slight crack, and crosses the porch to her own seat adjacent to Laudna. Before she settles into her seat, she reveals two blankets that she had clutched against her chest. She unfolds one and spreads it out, sprawling it over Laudna’s lap and covering her legs and feet. She then duplicates the act as she sat down, kicking her feet up into the stool positioned nearest her chair and covering up with her own blanket.
(Cut for length, rest below!)
Laudna raises her mug in the air in Imogen’s direction, as Imogen returns the kindness. “I love you,” she says into Laudna’s mind, not breaking the auditory experience provided by the rain still slapping the trees and falling through to the garden surrounding their homestead.
“I love you,” Laudna telepathically responds. She blows her a kiss across the small gap between them, and as Imogen mimics receiving it, they each take another sip of their coffee.
A flash of lightning brightens the area, even through the heavy tree tops. One, two, three… and then the bang of thunder overhead.
“This storm is beautiful,” Imogen says aloud.
“It is,” Laudna concurs. After a moment of silence, she offered a question. “Do you know why I like storms so much?”
Imogen turns her sights from the garden over to Laudna, watching as she sips from her mug before responding, “They remind me of you.”
“Oh?”
“Well, I like thunderstorms because they’re mesmerizing, they’re refreshing,” Laudna says as she turns to look at Imogen now. “But they’re also powerful and can be destructive and unpredictable, and loud.“
Laudna takes another sip as Imogen just looks at her, slightly confused. That’s when Laudna adds, “And well, I like you because amongst other things you are also all of those things, in the best of ways.”
Imogen smiled and blushed. “Oh, Laudna,” she started before she was interrupted by another bang of thunder.
Laudna just continues to stare into Imogen’s eyes as she smiles. Imogen tucks a strand of hair behind her ear as she bashfully looks away. They’ve been together for years, dating for half as long, yet Imogen still feels the butterflies like it is the first day, every day. And oh she loves Laudna for it.
“Thank you,” Imogen finally says as she extends her hand out over the table. Laudna reached hers out in reply and grasps onto Imogen’s, holding it for a moment and giving it a compassionate squeeze.
The two continue to sit there as the storm presses on, not letting up. They’ve lost complete track of time, not that it matters to them. They don’t have anywhere to go except bed.
“Is your leg feeling okay,” Imogen asked Laudna after a short while.
Laudna had been struggling for several weeks with a severe injury to her leg that just wouldn’t heal. She finally had gone and seen a doctor in the last few days, and the reason the girls found themselves here at this late hour tonight was because Laudna was still processing the news that the Doctor had provided: her leg was so severely diseased from the attack that only a truly divine spell could potentially cure what caused her disability.
As such, she was still making peace with her new reality, processing all that having a mobility issue and dealing with chronic pain and a physical disability now presents to her. It had only been a few days since the Doctor provided her with the brace and cane she was now using regularly.
“I suppose I’m alright,” Laudna admits. “It was difficult at first; certainly, worrying. But, all considered, there are worse things in life and unlife”
“Oh I know,” Imogen says. “I’m sure it’s scary and overwhelming. Just… are you okay, like, right now? Can I do anything?”
Laudna looks over at Imogen and gives her another warm smile. “Oh, darling. You’ve done plenty for me already. I am okay, honest.”
Laudna gives her a wink as Imogen smiles weakly. She still feels a bit of pity for Laudna, first having dealt with death — twice — and now suddenly having a life changing injury thrust into her, it just wasn’t fair. But that wasn’t for her to question, they simply could only work with the cards they were dealt.
“You would know if I were lying, Imogen.”,
Imogen’s face relaxes as she responds to Laudna in her head, “I know.”
“And if this is permanent, well that’s alright too. I’m alive, aren’t I?” Laudna downs the last of her coffee and places the mug down beside her on the table. “Besides, becoming disabled isn’t the worst thing that could happen to someone.”
Imogen chuckles, recalling another time Laudna referred to something as not being the worst thing that’s ever happened to her.
“You’re right,” Imogen says as she places her mug down next to Laudna’s. She sweeps another strand of her out of her face and behind her ear. “I just want you to be happy, Laud.”
“Oh, but I am happy, Imogen. I have you.”
Imogen beams at hearing this, not expecting it in any capacity, and her heart flutters over a few beats.
The two of them sit there for a little longer listening to the end of the storm as it leaves the area. Drops of rain continue to fall from the treetops as the wind blows by up above, rustling the leaves just as much as the nightlife does as they begin to emerge from their shelters. Hooting from owls and the skittering of raccoons can be heard overhead as the girls just take in the sounds of nature all around them.
“Shall we get some sleep,” Imogen asks Laudna through a powerful yawn. Laudna had been resting in her chair with her eyes closed, popping one open upon hearing Imogen’s question. “I suppose we should.”
Imogen gathers up her blanket in one hand before collecting Laudna’s, bundling them together underneath her arm. As Laudna gathers herself and prepares to get up onto her feet, Imogen reaches a hand out in aid to her. Taking it into her own, Laudna clutches her cane in her right hand, grasping onto the plain dull black wooden handle, and after a count of one, two, three, she rocks herself forward and up into a standing position.
As Laudna gathers her bearings, Imogen collects their mugs from the table and blows the lantern out. Laudna opens and holds the door for Imogen as she walks inside first, heading straight to the kitchen with their empty mugs. Laudna closes and locks the door and waits for Imogen by the stairs. Just as quickly, Imogen emerges from around the corner and gives Laudna a kiss on the cheek, still clutching the blankets.
“Go ahead darlin, I got you if you need me,” Imogen says as she gestured towards the stairs. Laudna carefully took to the stairs, cane first then one foot and then the other, repeating the process one step at a time. Perhaps with time she’ll regain some speed and dexterity, she thinks to herself, but for now she’s focused on this reality and the next step ahead. Literally and figuratively.
It takes a minute or two, but Laudna makes it up the stairs without issue or the need for Imogen to assist her. They both head down the hall toward their bedroom, this time Imogen leading the way and letting Laudna go at her own pace, taking advantage by preparing Laudna’s side of the bed first.
After helping Laudna remove her brace and get comfortable in bed, propping her leg up on a pile of pillows, Imogen turns down the lanterns on each of their nightstands and crawls into bed beside her love. Laudna extends her arm and invites Imogen in to cuddle with her as they fall asleep. Imogen drapes her arm over Laudna, her hand resting on Laudna’s clavicle and neck, as Laudna holds her in one arm while the other rests across her own torso holding Imogen’s arm.
“I love you,” Imogen says out loud this time.
Laudna rubs her arm affectionately, and replies “I love you too.”
Imogen strokes the side of Laudna’s face as she lays there, prompting Laudna to kiss Imogen on the crown of her head. Imogen buries her face in Laudna’s chest.
Rain begins to fall again and hit the window pane from the outside; and as another low rumble of thunder is barely heard overhead, Laudna and Imogen close their eyes and drift off to sleep.
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