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It’s secretly her favourite thing, the way Seven rests her head on her lap, her stomach, her chest. Raffi finds it endearing, butterflies fluttering excitedly inside her at the thought that Seven readily wants to be so close. Seven likes it when Raffi plays with her hair, plaiting it or curling it around her fingers. Raffi loves how serene Seven gets with her head in her lap. She seems to melt against Raffi like butter, eyes closing as her body slowly relaxes into her spine.
For once a storm has rolled over Vasquez Rocks, which happens from time to time. Raffi finds herself inside on her couch, listening to the constant drumming of rain against the windows and the metal porch, the smell of fresh soil wafting through the open door. She’d spun in the first drops of rain for quite a while, face up to the heavens, letting the water rejuvenate her, cleanse her. Then she’d gone back inside, peace settling in her chest before curling up on the couch with a blanket, a book and a mug of tea.
The only sound for a while is the rain and the constant rumbles of thunder circling the desert. It’s cosy, serene and peaceful. The only thing missing is Seven. Raffi couldn’t be prouder of her for how hard she was working at her command training but she misses her as she always did; a constant ache for the space Seven held in her life, waiting to be filled.
As if her thoughts had willed Seven here, Raffi soon hears the crunch of wet sand beneath boots and how they take the stairs to the porch two at a time. There’s a shuffle outside the open door for several seconds along with a mumbled string of curses before Seven appears, bootless, hair damp and stringy at the ends, uniform splattered with rain but otherwise immaculate.
Raffi peers at her over the top of her book but pretends to pay no attention. Even when Seven starts shedding her uniform right then and there, Raffi keeps her eyes on the pages, though she’s no longer reading. It doesn’t take Seven long to fill her space, flopping dramatically down on the couch and pulling the blanket away from her. She rearranges Raffi’s legs, so she can shimmy her way up them and rest her head on her lap.
Grinning to herself, Raffi’s hand travels down to stroke through her semi-wet hair, strands parting for her fingers easily.
‘’Hi baby.’’
Seven whines and shakes her head, burrowing herself closer to her. Raffi takes that as a sign she doesn’t want to talk right now and falls silent, fingers still working their magic, focusing partly back on her book.
They stay like that for a while, listening to the rain and the thunder, feeling how Seven’s chest rises and falls against her steadily. If Raffi didn’t know better she’d say Seven had fallen asleep by how quiet and still she is, but she knows this is her way of regulating back from a busy, stressful day. Silence and soft, gentle touches. It’s taken a while for Raffi to be able to go long stretches like this without saying anything, but she’s learnt to, for Seven.
After at least half an hour, Seven lets out a long deep sigh before she shuffles herself up from Raffi’s lap to her stomach. She’s a little more restless here, clearly unable to find a place that’s comfortable enough to lay her head. In the end, Seven pulls Raffi’s tank top up and over her head so she’s laying directly against her stomach.
There’s a moment before she hums contently and Raffi looks down at her now hidden underneath her top. A wide grin spreads across her face and she puts down her book, hand now resting on Seven’s back.
‘’You comfortable there, honey?’’
Seven nods as her arms come to wrap around her waist. ‘’Want to be close.’’ Her voice is muffled though her breath warm against Raffi’s skin.
‘’I don’t think you can get any closer, Seven.’’ Raffi teases gently which is met by another whine. ‘’But you’re happy to stay there for as long as you want.’’
‘’Forever?’’
‘’Well, I’m not sure how possible that i-’’
‘’But you just said as long as I want.’’ If Raffi could see Seven’s face now, she’s sure she’d be pouting.
‘’Okay, well I might need some snack and bathroom breaks, but apart from that, yes, it can be forever.’’
She feels a kiss against her stomach and rubs Seven’s back lightly.
‘’I guess that’s acceptable.’’ Seven murmurs, nuzzling her face more into Raffi, as if she’s trying to have them become one being between them.
With amusement, Raffi lifts the top of her tank up to peer down at Seven, a rush of love washing over her at the sight of her. The fact that she’s so eager to be so close, that Raffi didn’t have to ask for any of this makes her heart feel full. At the beginning of their relationship Raffi would have never have said Seven was the cuddly one but now she knows she is, she couldn’t be more in love with it.
‘’Did you spend time in the rain?’’ Seven asks, tilting her head up to look at Raffi through the top of her tank.
‘’I did.’’ She nods. ‘’It was nice.’’
‘’I thought so.’’ Seven nuzzles back into her. ‘’I can feel it healing me through you.’’
Raffi doesn’t mean for that to get her choked up, but she blinks away the tears and smiles through the sudden emotions that have burst out of her. ‘’I think the rain’s going to stop soon. We still have time to go back outside in it.’’
Seven however shakes her head. ‘’No, staying like this forever, remember?’’
With a semi-dramatic sigh, Raffi slowly nods her head. ‘’I do remember. Though I’m not sure how I’m meant to kiss you when you’re hiding all the way down there…’’
As quick as light, Seven’s head is out from underneath her tank top and she’s surging up to kiss her, pulling Raffi closer and closer. Raffi laughs against her lips and gathers Seven up as close as she can, letting her fill up all the space she deserves to have. The rain starts to die down until it stops, the only sound outside being the constant drip of her plants and the thunder rolling away into nothing.