Delphine woke up slowly, like going the long way when walking home – taking her sweet time and enjoying every second. She squinted into the remaining shadows of very early morning and waited for her mind to re-process everything.

A huff of breath against her collar bone garnered her attention and she looked down to see a sleeping Cosima snuggled warmly against her side. Cosima's hands clutched Delphine's nightshirt for dear life, as if the other woman might be ripped from her at any moment.

And then Delphine remembered.

They'd found the cure, the elixir to halt Cosima's withering. Her lungs would heal.

They would both heal. Nobody was going anywhere.

Delphine couldn't help the smile that spread across her face like giddy wildfire.

"It's way too early for you to be so happy," a grumbly voice sounded, and Delphine looked to find Cosima squinting tiredly up at her.

"Nonsense," Delphine whispered, hand coming up to rub circles in the other woman's shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"Mmmmsleepy," she admitted, shifting slightly and bringing an arm round to rest on Delphine's stomach.

"Sleep then, chérie," Delphine murmured. "There is no rush."

And there wasn't, because Cosima was safe and soon she'd be healthy again and everything was falling back into place.

Cosima mumbled something about her laptop charger before drifting off again.

Delphine had no intention of ever leaving this bed again.

—

Cosima did not rouse again until several hours later. She came awake all at once, as if having just remembered something she forgot to do. She inhaled deeply and a hand shot up to rub one eye, but she misjudged the landing in her just-awakened state and wound up smacking herself on the forehead before dragging her palm across her face.

"Time's it?" the brunette demanded.

"Unimportant," Delphine dodged, pretending to be distracted by the contents of her laptop screen.

"I had class today."

"You took a sick day."

"Oh, I did, did I?" Cosima countered with a smile. "Who died and put you in charge?"

Later, Delphine could not say what brought it on. Perhaps it was the poor choice of words on Cosima's part, or the intense relief still radiating through her body.

"You almost did, in case you- you-" but she was unable to finish, and suddenly she was sobbing; heaving, choking, and it was all very ungraceful and not very romantic at all.

Cosima didn't mind. She murmured "hey" and wrapped herself tightly around Delphine's body. She kissed Delphine until her lips were numb and whispered "You did good, you did so good. You did good."

—

When Delphine startled awake, Cosima was not in the bed next to her.

Her mind began to whir with panic, but it was short-lived as Cosima returned soon after, a smile on her face.

Delphine wanted this to be the sight she woke up to every day for the rest of her life.

"My bad," Cosima murmured, crawling into the bed beside Delphine. "I didn't want you to wake up alone but, well. Nature called. You know the deal."

Delphine giggled. "Indeed I do."

Cosima settled in beside Delphine once more, and she fit in the space between Delphine's hip and arm as if she were made to lie there for eternity.

Perhaps she would. Neither of them planned to leave the bed.

—

The sound of Cosima's breath, clear and strong, was intoxicating to hear and Delphine pressed her ear to the other woman's chest to better listen. She was pleased to also hear Cosima's heartbeat, healthy and thriving.

"Hear anything good?" Cosima asked casually.

"Yes," Delphine whispered. "My favorite song."

"You unbelievable dork," Cosima sighed, as if flustered, but Delphine heard the telltale quickening of her heart.

"I thought you liked that about me?" Delphine wonderd, burying her face in Cosima's neck.

"You caught me."

They didn't do anything for the rest of the day. Just breathed, and kissed, and existed.

And it was enough.