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The sun set in the autumn sky, painting its blue canvas with streaks of reds and oranges and pinks. The air surrounding the academy was crisp and cool, with crunchy foliage covering the yard like butterflies gathering on a lilac blossom.

"Alright, witches," Zoe murmured over the rim of her wine glass, a soft flush coloring her pale cheeks. The soft-spoken witch had one elbow resting casually on the counter top, fingernails tapping a light rhythm against the marble. "Which ones of you will have the pleasure of trying my homemade stuffing balls this Thursday?"

Madison snorted, a manicured hand covering her smirk.

"Girl, nobody wants your nasty balls in their mouth," Queenie retorted, tapping her nearly empty wine glass against Madison's in a salute. Red wine sloshed precariously close to the top of Madison's glass and the actress-turned-witch quickly ran a finger up the base, catching the burgundy liquid with her finger before popping it into her mouth. The two of the Coven's more mischievous witches sat alone at one end of the kitchen table, relaxed and giggling from their after-dinner drink.

"Girls," Cordelia chastised softly, her sparkling eyes and wry grin removing the bite from her admonishment. The Supreme was seated at the head of the table but adopted a more casual position than she usually maintained during dinner. With one elbow leaning on the table and a smooth cheek resting against her palm, she watched her girls with quiet mirth. As headmistress and reigning Supreme, she rarely allowed her professional guard down around the students of the house, but when it was just them – just her girls, her Council, her most trusted advisers – she let herself loosen up.

"I think they sound real intriguin', Zoe," a raspy voice remarked encouragingly. Misty Day sat to the left of Cordelia, as was her standard, leaning all the way back in her chair. Long legs parted casually, her black lace skirt bunching around her knees to reveal strong, pale calves.

Zoe smiled and raised her glass in a faux cheers, and Misty let loose one of her trademark wide grins and nodded, raising her tumbler of whisky neat.

"I wish we could join you guys, but Cabo awaits," Coco said somewhat regretfully. The unconventional witch had found a home here in New Orleans, an unusual cluster of family whom she treasured beyond measure. She was one of the few older students who still had loving, supportive parents, however, and was expected to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with them.

"Hey, it'll be fun," Mallory whispered encouragingly to her best friend as she squeezed her hand, reassuring her with her usual quiet voice and radiant smile.

Coco looked down at Mallory and squeezed back, nodding and smiling. "I'm just glad you agreed to come with me," she replied.

An exaggerated gagging noise caught everyone's attention, the witches all turning to see Madison dramatically poking her index finger down her own mouth. "Goddamn, this coven is packed full of lesbos," she complained, eyes rolling towards the heavens. Her sardonic eye roll eventually caught Zoe's gaze, who simply cocked one eyebrow and twisted her lips into a smirk, and the former Hollywood elite quickly lowered her eyes to the floor.

"How many girls are staying here over the holiday, Miss Cordelia?" Misty asked, her lazy drawl even more pronounced after two and a half whiskeys. Her signature blonde waves were mussed in the front, and the Supreme had to bite back an affectionate smile and avert her eyes away from the Cajun witch's curious stare. Misty had a particularly endearing habit of bunching her long fingers through her own curls whenever she was feeling relaxed or particularly tired, creating an even wilder look about her. Most evenings, whether they were working in the greenhouse or sipping tea on the back patio, Cordelia found herself unable to look away as the witch unconsciously ran her hands through messy, blonde waves and blinked up at her with sleepy, blue eyes.

"Not many," Cordelia admitted, pulling herself out of her internal musings and taking a delicate sip of the crimson liquid in her glass. "I believe it's just you, Madison, and the rest of the Council." She gestured to the girls in the room, most of who smiled back at their leader.

(Secretly, Cordelia hoped to spend much of the next year recruiting more girls who had been abandoned by their families, left in various foster cares after exhibiting their powers, instead of being loved and nurtured by those who accepted their gifts. So many of their current students were applicants whose families were just happy to finally find an explanation for their oddities, pleasant enough people who accepted their daughters, nieces, and sisters as witches, and were pleased to find a place where they could drop them off and allow them to flourish before picking them up for holiday breaks. It wasn't enough for the bleeding heart Supreme. Cordelia wanted to be a home for the unwanted, the kind of sanctuary she dreamed about while under Fiona's care.)

"Oh," Misty said with a sigh and a lopsided grin. "I know this probably sounds stupid," she began, eyes flashing to Madison as she unconsciously rubbed the back of her head to ease a phantom twinge, "but I've never had a proper Thanksgiving before. And I'm real excited to spend it with y'all."

"I'll make green bean casserole, too," Zoe offered immediately, opening her phone to add additional notes to her digital grocery list. "It's a holiday staple," she explained to the Cajun, whose brow furrowed in confusion but nodded slowly in acceptance of her friend's assurance. "I swear!" she exclaimed at Madison, who was staring at her as if she had grown two additional heads.

"I'm guessing I'll be responsible for the turkey?" the Supreme asked, glancing at each of her girls with an amused smile. Madison gave another roll of eyes and Queenie shrugged.

"Hey, I make kickass dessert," the voodoo witch stated. "Count me in for the pie. But I can't make a turkey for shit."

"Madison?" Cordelia asked pointedly.

"I'll handle the booze, of course," she said in tone that dripped apathy and boredom as she tossed down a generous helping of wine. "God knows I'll need it if I'm spending my holidays with you bitches."

The girls eventually filtered out the kitchen and headed to their rooms at a languid pace, warm alcohol trickling through their blood and weighing them heavy with sleep. Queenie cringed when Madison teasingly pinched Zoe's waist, who responded not by scowling and pushing away her antagonizer, but by quietly laughing and leaning into the witch's sharp touch as they entered their shared bedroom. Queenie shut her door with an almost-too-loud bang, cursing the "roommates" and putting in her headphones to drown out any residual noise from her next-door neighbors. Maybe Madison was right – this coven was crawling with sickeningly happy couples.

"Should I bring anything to our Thanksgivin' meal, Miss Cordelia?" Misty asked innocently, leaning forward on the table, left foot crossing over right. One soft toe gently brushed against Cordelia's uncovered ankle, warm, bare, and exposed from the Supreme's twisted dress.

Cordelia smiled and affectionately tucked a strand of hair behind Misty's ear without much thought, only pulling away when the smooth skin of Misty's neck connected against her fingertips, igniting a slow, deep burn inside of her chest. "I wanna contribute," the swamp witch insisted, ice blue eyes bright with sincerity, face inching closer to the Supreme's. Misty was unassuming and genuine and beautiful, and the Supreme found herself nearly unable to breathe.

Heady aromas of wet earth, sandalwood, and rich florals invaded Cordelia's senses, dizzying her mind as she tried to focus on Misty's question instead of her mouth. Misty's jaw clenched lightly as she waited for a reply, closed lips shaped like an impossibly perfect flower petal, pink and sweet. She smelled like soil and thunderstorms, and it was both soothing and incredibly enticing. The warmth in Cordelia's chest spread up her neck like slow-moving lava, breath hitching in her throat as she struggled to inhale.

"Potatoes," she spit out, a hot blush staining her cheeks. She took another sip of wine, hoping to pass it off as warmth from her alcohol. "You can help with the potatoes."

"Well, I reckon I can manage that," Misty whispered, a coy smile playing at the corners of her lips as she stood to rinse out her glass.

"We'll all go grocery shopping tomorrow," Cordelia stated as though the idea just came to her. "All of us." She nodded authoritatively so as to seal the deal, and Misty fought back an amused grin as she bobbed her head in agreement.

Her long, black skirt swished pleasantly as she set her glass on the drying rack and turned to leave the kitchen, stopping only to gently trail one hand against Cordelia's arm. "Until tomorrow, Miss Cordelia." With a gentle squeeze of the shoulder signaling her goodnight, Misty floated out of the room.

As the clicking sound of boots retreated further in the house, Cordelia sighed and covered her face with her hands. "Really, Cordelia?" she groaned. "Potatoes? You're the goddamn Supreme and all you could say was 'potatoes.'"

Taking one final swig of her wine, she walked to the sink to clean up, setting her dripping glass on the rack next to Misty's. She took a minute to watch the water droplets slowly trickling down the clear surface, collecting moisture and gathering speed before falling off the rim with a tiny plop.

"Potatoes," she scoffed again, shaking her head one last time before heading up to her bedroom.

"Where the hell do I find yams?" Queenie asked, squinting under store's fluorescent lighting at Zoe's very long and detailed list.

"They should be near the sweet potatoes," Zoe said as she held up two different cans of green beans to carefully inspect the labels.

"There's a difference between a yam and a sweet potato?" the voodoo witch questioned, taking a startled step back when Zoe suddenly turned and snatched the list from her hand.

"Yes," Zoe sighed. "Come on, I'll help you. These canned green beans are trash anyway, I need to get the fresh stuff if we have any chance of eating a decent casserole." She strode off towards the produce section, black heels clicking with purpose. Queenie reluctantly trailed behind her, arms crossed and a scowl etched into her face as she muttered something about "crazy holiday nutjobs."

Misty stared in awe at the amount of food the witches already had in their cart - carts, technically since Madison had taken a separate one to load up in the alcohol department. "We're really gonna need this much food?" she asked, sneaking a baby carrot out of a hole she had discreetly poked in the plastic bag.

Cordelia grinned and nodded, pushing their cart in the direction of instant mashed potatoes. "That's a big part of Thanksgiving," she explained. "You eat way too much, you complain about being full, then you take a nap on the couch while someone inevitably puts on some ridiculous football game, everyone wakes up, eats pie, and then you do it all again for dinner."

"Sounds like my kind of holiday," Misty affirmed with a nod, crunching quietly on another stolen baby carrot. "But where do the thanks and givin' parts come in?"

Cordelia felt her heart clench tightly at the childlike simplicity of her question. Misty was tough as nails, independent and strong, and could throw a punch with the best of them, but there was an innate pureness within her, at the very core of her being. She radiated white light, and it was all Cordelia could do not to get swept away by her blinding luminescence.

"The actual historical facts behind Thanksgiving are problematic at best," Cordelia admitted. She stifled a grin as she pretended not to see Misty struggling to fish another carrot out of her bag as they walked. "But by today's standards, it's a day for people to come together and reflect on what or who they're grateful for. Sometimes people share those feelings out loud, expressing their gratitude. Sometimes it's a private reflection inside their hearts. It's a day for people to set aside their differences and reflect on all the good in their lives."

Misty crunched on a carrot thoughtfully, forehead furrowing in concentration. "Well, that sounds real nice, Miss Cordelia," she said. "I certainly have a lot to be thankful for this year. My parents made us spend every holiday at worship, a' course, an' I certainly wasn't thankful for hours of prayer we were forced to endure in the stiflin' heat. And we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving in Hell, that's for sure."

Cordelia stopped abruptly in front of the boxed potatoes, turning to stare at Misty with an unreadable expression on her face. Warm tears filled her clear brown eyes, and she blinked them away heavily, breaking eye contact to stare at the bag of half-empty carrots sitting in their cart as she willed her sudden emotion away.

"Hey," Misty said softly, reaching out to clutch her hand. "I didn't mean nothin' by that. If ya don't laugh about it, ya cry," she explained with another firm squeeze. "And although I can't say I was a fan of those experiences, they sure do make me grateful for what I have now." She gripped Cordelia's hand tight and pulled the woman closer to her, an intense look falling over her face. "For who I have now," she added softly.

Cordelia released a quiet sob, so light it was nearly inaudible, and suddenly her arms around Misty's waist. The taller witch pulled Cordelia close and threaded long fingers through her silky, blonde hair. Her lips lingered by Cordelia's ear and the Supreme let out a shuddering breath, burrowing her face into Misty's shoulder. "I'm thankful for you, darlin'," Misty whispered, holding the trembling witch flush against her body.

They stood that way for several seconds, with Misty placing comforting, feather-light kisses on the velvet skin of Cordelia's ear and neck. Cordelia's breathing gradually evened out and she pulled back slightly, staring into Misty's blue eyes. The normally opalescent color had darkened to almost navy, causing Cordelia's heart to stutter in her chest as her eyes once again flitted unconsciously to Misty's mouth.

"Hey, Cordy, if you guys are done making out, you might wanna come save Zoe from the headlock Queenie has her in," Madison shouted from halfway down the aisle, smirking and pushing her booze-filled cart towards her feuding sister witches.

Misty cursed under her breath, shooting daggers with her eyes at where Madison had been standing, and Cordelia chuckled. The sweet, lilting sound forced Misty's attention back to the woman in front of her, who still had Misty's sleeves bunched in a tight grip. "Well, I suppose we could use some more baby carrots," Cordelia teased, releasing Misty from her grasp and slowly wheeling her cart towards the vegetable section. Misty shook her head and laughed before haphazardly grabbing a couple boxes of instant mashed potatoes and hurrying after Cordelia.

Thanksgiving morning greeted Cordelia with a sweet smell of brown sugar wafting through the house from the kitchen. Zoe was up, then, Cordelia deduced. Throwing on casual linen pants and a thick, cozy sweater, the Supreme made her way downstairs.

Zoe was commanding the kitchen like a drill sergeant, having Queenie fetch this and grate that, while she worked on assembling three dishes at once. "Thank God this house has multiple ovens," Zoe said approvingly, sliding a pan of sweet potato casserole in the oven next to a giant tray of what Cordelia assumed were the stuffing balls.

"You'd better hope I don't throw you into one of those ovens before the day is over," Queenie grumbled, grabbing what she needed for her pies and moving towards the opposite end of the kitchen to work in private.

Cordelia smiled and grabbed two ceramic mugs, careful to dodge Zoe's flurried movements, and prepared morning tea for herself and Misty. Taking the steaming mugs into the greenhouse, she wasn't surprised to see the swamp witch already curled up in one of the chairs next to the small table they had set up in the corner.

"Mornin,'" Misty greeted with a sleepy smile, wrapping a white and burgundy blanket tighter around her shoulders. She accepted the proffered warm cup gratefully, cupping her hands over the steam that slowly curled up into the air.

"Good morning," Cordelia replied as she took her usual seat across the table. The Supreme allowed herself a moment to observe the peaceful scene before her, committing it to memory and letting it fill her heart. The sun had barely risen; streaks of pale light were just starting to come through the wide greenhouse windows. Outside of their cozy nook, the air was chilled and damp, morning dew glistening on the fallen leaves and surrounding grass. Misty's tired eyes gently crinkled at the corners, her hair still tousled with sleep, as she raised the tea to her mouth and took a tentative first sip before sighing in content.

"Miss Cordelia, ya really do make the best tea," she complimented, holding the steaming cup to her lips for warmth.

"One of the benefits of excelling as an alchemist all my life," Cordelia joked, gesturing to the various plants and herbs surrounding them. Misty smiled in return, and the two women allowed a comfortable silence to settle over them, watching the world as it slowly began to wake.

After a few minutes of undisturbed quiet, Misty took a deep swallow of her tea and asked, "So, when do we get to makin' those mashed potatoes?"

"Oh, probably not until a half an hour or so before we eat," Cordelia replied. "They won't take too long, even though we're making a couple boxes. I wanted to make it easy for us since it's your first time participating. Who knows? Maybe next year we'll crank it up a notch and mash our own potatoes."

Misty grinned in agreement from behind her cup. "Sounds fun," she said, sunlight bouncing off silver rings as she raised her cup for another sip.

And it was. Zoe and Cordelia spent much of their morning in the kitchen, the two responsible witches working to make sure everything was perfect for their holiday meal. Queenie bailed shortly before 10:00 AM, claiming she had "work to do" before getting ready. Absorbed in cooking, Zoe didn't notice the flick of Queenie's fingers when she exited the room with a smirk, only letting out a startled curse when the spoon she was vigorously stirring slipped from her hand and clattered to the countertop, flinging a mixture of fruit and red jello powder all over her face.

Cordelia finally convinced Zoe to go upstairs and get ready once the food was prepared and sitting on warmers, waiting to be consumed. Madison, shockingly, had volunteered to set the table – the Hollywood elite undoubtedly had good taste and knew how to plan a party, so Cordelia agreed, if somewhat apprehensively. In Madison's own words, she didn't want their holiday feast "to look like they were eating in a back alley soup kitchen decorated for vagrants."

Alone in the kitchen, Misty and Cordelia stood in front of a giant vat of boiling water. "One… two… three… go!" On the Supreme's command, they started ripping open packets of potatoes and pouring them in the pot. "Grab a whisk, grab a whisk!" Cordelia said, getting caught up in Misty's infectious excitement as she laughed and dumped and stirred the contents with honest enthusiasm.

Misty swirled the whisk around the mixture of powdery potatoes, unable to control a giggle when some of it splashed up and landed on Cordelia's cheek. Cordelia jumped in surprise and then smiled, reaching around the witch's tall, lithe body to put her hand over Misty's and slow her movements.

"Not so fast," she murmured. "It should be quick, but deliberate. Precise." The shorter woman pressed her front against Misty's back, one hand curled around her waist and the other guiding their movements. Misty's breath caught in her throat as she watched their hands moving together, around and around, the satisfied feeling within in her gut similar to how she felt when they worked side-by-side in the greenhouse. She couldn't stop the thumping of her heart or contented hum from escaping between her lips when Cordelia whispered, "Good, that's perfect," with a light squeeze to her side.

Once the potatoes were nice and fluffy, Cordelia removed her hand from Misty's and moved it to her back, leaning forward to switch the stovetop's setting to warm. "You did it!" she congratulated the Cajun witch with a genuinely proud smile. Misty's own grin was so wide it threatened to split her face in two as she pulled Cordelia in for an impromptu hug.

"Couldn't have done it without ya," she countered, gently pressing her fingers into Cordelia's back and holding her close. Familiar warmth bloomed in Cordelia's stomach and she tightly gripped the back of Misty's head, burying her face in the witch's neck and smiling into her skin. This was Cordelia's favorite place, wrapped up in Misty's strong arms, smelling the patch of skin between her neck and collarbone, letting herself relax into the space seemingly made just for her.

Cordelia reluctantly pulled back to look up at Misty when they heard the other girls clamoring down the stairs, eager to get the festivities started. "We'd better go upstairs and change," she said. She glanced down at her food-splattered apron and rumpled clothes from earlier that morning. "I'll meet you in the dining room?" she asked, hope lacing her unnecessary question.

"I can't hardly wait," Misty confirmed, giving Cordelia's back one final squeeze before they pulled apart and hurried to get ready.

Lunch was a lively affair. As it turned out, Madison had a secret agenda when it came to her offer of setting the table. Sitting behind each plate was a personal bottle of that witch's favorite alcohol, arranged prettily and carefully on a decorative lace doily. Queenie whooped and gave Madison a high five before immediately cracking hers open, and Zoe gave her a hug so fierce, she twirled them in a circle.

"Okay, enough!" Madison yelled, wrenching herself away from the witches. She stepped over to her own place setting and crossed her arms tightly in front her chest. "I just didn't want you guys, like, complaining if I bought the wrong stuff." Although her tone was sharp, Cordelia noticed a pleased smile threatening to break through her steel expression. Sitting down with a huff, Madison opened her bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal Brut with a forceful pop and a pleasant fizzing of bubbles.

And with that, the festivities got underway.

Plates were heaped with food and cups were filled to the brim. Misty's plate was piled so high, the rest of the girls were worried about her food tipping over and falling into her lap. Cordelia's eyes sparkled and her heart swelled as she took in the scene before her – Misty, tackling a mountain of food without stopping to see what was on her spoon before shoving it into her mouth, Queenie, complimenting Zoe over and over on her cooking skills, all previous annoyances having disappeared as she dug into a stuffing ball, and Madison, frequently stopping to refill Zoe's glass, pleased with the witch's earlier reaction to her surprise, even if she didn't want anyone to know it.

"Ya look real pretty when you're happy, if you don't mind me sayin'," Misty teased quietly, leaning over to nudge Cordelia with her elbow. The Supreme flushed and turned towards Misty, unable to hide her small smile.

"I am happy," she agreed, staring openly at the witch, her eyes honest and unafraid. "Last year, I couldn't have imagined this as a possibility. I couldn't have imagined – I wouldn't allow myself to imagine – you. As a possibility." Cordelia stopped for a moment, shaking her head when her voice cracked with emotion. She looked at the beautiful witch sitting next to her, and her expression was almost reverent. "Having you here with me is better than anything I could've wish for in my wildest dreams."

Misty's heart skipped in her chest, and she thought of the flat rocks she used to skim across the swamp water in her past lonely days. Skip skip skip thump, and suddenly she was consumed with white hot adoration. It filled her heart and overflowed into her veins and coursed through her whole body until she was burning, burning, burning with love. And with the way Cordelia was looking at her – eyes dark and blazing and alive, as though they could only see her – Misty believed maybe the Supreme was feeling the same way, too.

A loud pop and a crash startled the two witches back to reality. The noise in the room got louder and louder until they were completely pulled from their shared reverie, thrust back into the room with the rest of the girls. Zoe was standing up from across the table, a sheepish look on her face as she held a green bottle of fizzing champagne, White bubbles burst from the opening and ran down the side in small rivulets, trickling over her fingers. On the table and floor next to her were the shattered pieces of what had once been a glass, until it fell victim to the exploding cork.

"Sorry, Cordelia," Zoe apologized, cheeks warming with embarrassment.

For a moment, it was silent. Queenie bit the inside of her cheek as Madison made pointed eye contact with the floor, both girls struggling to contain their laughter. Half a second later they couldn't help but lock eyes, and uncontrollable giggles burst free from their lips. Queenie hid her eyes behind her hands as tears streamed down her cheeks, with Madison exhibiting a rare moment of unfiltered amusement. Soon, everyone was laughing and Zoe's expression visibly softened, even joining in the laughter at her misfortune. Madison went to fetch a broom and dustpan and Zoe took a seat next to Queenie, filling up three tall glasses with the sparkling liquid and shaking her head at herself.

Cordelia looked over at Misty and her breath caught in her throat, chest tightening with emotion, as the world around her seemed to slip into slow motion. Misty's smile lit up her whole face when she laughed, her ice blue eyes sparkling with happiness and creasing in the corners, pale cheeks flushing attractively with color. To Cordelia, Misty Day had always been a star, a celestial beauty gracing those around her with her otherworldly radiance. In that moment, however, Misty was a supernova. She shined brighter and brighter, blinding Cordelia, burning her up from within, until she felt like she was going to explode at the magnificence of it all.

Cordelia's whole body vibrated with the need to reach out and touch Misty, to run one hand along her smooth cheeks, trace the gentle slope of her nose, outline her lips with a tender brush of her fingers. Instead, Cordelia reached one trembling hand for her glass, bringing it to her mouth to take a long drink, attempting to calm her nerves and slow the rapid beating of her heart. Misty jumped up to help the other girls clean the mess once Madison returned to the dining room, and they eventually began clearing away the dirty plates and taking the food back into the kitchen, where it was wrapped up and stowed away until dinner.

"I take back everything I said about your stuffing balls, Zoe," Queenie groaned, leaning back into the couch with heavy eyes. Zoe gave her a pleased smile before playing her next card, sliding it into the middle of the pile as the girls leisurely sat around the coffee table.

Cordelia sat on the couch with her legs curled under her, delicately sipping on tart, red wine and simply enjoying watching her girls get along. Madison had busted out an absolutely filthy card game and they begged the Supreme to join them, but as soon as she saw the word "queef" on one of the cards she bowed out gracefully, electing to be their sole audience member instead.

Misty's tongue poked out in concentration, reading with the seriousness of lawyer prepping for a murder trial. Making her choice, she added her selection to the pile.

"Finally," Madison rolled her eyes, grabbing the stack and shuffling them around. "Okay, so – 'Hey baby, come back to my place and I'll show you,'" she read, pulling the first card, "'being a motherfucking sorcerer,' 'the clitoris,' or 'a cat video so cute that your eyes roll back and your spine slides out your anus.'" The room exploded into giddy laughter as Madison evaluated her cards. "Jesus Christ, it's so disgusting but I obviously have to go with the cat video one."

Misty whooped in celebration and grabbed her winning card, adding it to her rapidly growing pile. Cordelia looked on from her place on the couch, her cheeks burning in mortification over some of the offensive language, but still happy to be soaking up the sounds of unfiltered, carefree joy that was filling the house. It made a nice change from the sounds of violence and killing and war that their Coven was so used to experiencing.

Some time later, after Queenie had ultimately been declared the winner, the girls lazily sprawled out throughout the living room. Empty plates of pie littered the floor and table, Cordelia having relented on her strict rule of "no eating in the living room" because of the holiday. It was quiet, and the feeling of comfort slowly settled over the Coven like a warm, weighted blanket. Madison and Zoe sat together on the loveseat, Zoe unconsciously curling herself into Madison's body as she napped. Madison rolled her eyes and maintained her stiff posture, but didn't wake the girl or, as she was more inclined to do, shove her to the floor. Queenie lounged in the armchair, wrapping herself in a soft, knitted blanket. Her eyes were glued to the TV, watching the Detroit Lions play a tough game as she muttered various curses and cheers under her breath.

Misty had taken her usual seat on the couch next to Cordelia, head resting on the back cushion as she watched the Supreme with a serene expression on her face. Cordelia twisted and angled her body until she was facing Misty, her palms pressed together like an angel in prayer under her cheek, as she laid and stared. Brown eyes looked into blue, and for a long while, neither said anything.

"Are you having a nice first Thanksgiving?" Cordelia whispered.

Misty gave her a slow smile, reaching forward to tuck back a loose strand of Cordelia's blonde hair that had fallen across her cheek. "Ya, I am," Misty whispered back, letting her fingertips linger for a bit as she traced light zigzags patterns on the back of Cordelia's ear.

Cordelia gave a quiet laugh, no more than a soft exhale of breath, and her lips spread in a small smile, revealing two rows of perfect, white teeth. "Good," she replied softly, shivering under Misty's gentle touch. "I'm glad."

Lulled into relaxation, Cordelia closed her heavy eyes and allowed herself to drift into a peaceful sleep, with images of ocean blue eyes and untamed blonde curls floating through her wandering subconscious.

"I think we should all go around and say what we're thankful for," Zoe suggested, undeterred by the protesting groans she received in response. The group had gathered back in the dining room for dinner, loading up plates with second helpings. Everyone except for Misty and Cordelia had opted to change into more casual attire after lunch, the younger girls donning sweatpants or leggings with roomy sweatshirts.

"What?" Madison had asked self-consciously when Queenie stared at her outfit. "I own sweatshirts, okay?"

"Ya look nice," Misty complimented encouragingly, reaching around Madison to spoon more potatoes on her plate. "Real cozy."

Now they all sat once again at the table, libations flowing and food being passed around as Zoe encouraged them to partake in the most common of Thanksgiving traditions. "Come on, you guys! We had such a shit year, we deserve to celebrate."

"Why don't you go first, since you're so horny for Thanksgiving?" Madison snapped, using her fork to stab at the green beans on her plate.

"Fine," Zoe said with a nod. "I'm thankful for our Council, and for being part of one of the most successful Covens in history. And I'm thankful for all of the young witches we get to help as they figure out their powers and take on the world." She looked at Queenie pointedly, raising her eyebrows and expectantly cocking her head to one side.

"Fine, damn," Queenie muttered, taking a second to think before responding. "Freedom," she said, dark eyes staring at the table in contemplation. Cordelia's hand found Misty's under the table, squeezing reassuringly. Her chest loosened and she released a grateful breath when Misty's fingers wrapped around hers and squeezed back. "I'm thankful I can leave the house when I want, go where I want, do what I want. I won't take it for granted again," Queenie finished with a sigh. "You're up, bitch," she directed at Madison.

"Not being in Hell doesn't suck," Madison stated, taking a quick sip from her glass.

"Seconded," Misty echoed, a slightly overwhelmed and emotional look on her face. Cordelia gave her hand another gentle squeeze before standing up and raising her glass, the air of Supreme radiating from her very being.

"I'm sure mine is no surprise," she began, making deliberate eye contact with each witch. "But I am beyond thankful to have my girls back here with me. You have grown tremendously over the past year, and I could not be any prouder of each and every one of you. You make me proud to be Supreme, a position I never thought I would want. I now firmly believe I am the luckiest leader this Coven has ever had. It's because of you that our legacy has been restored to the world. It's because of you we're able to be a safe haven for young girls across the nation, and it's because of you that goodness still reigns over evil. I am grateful to be your leader."

Ever the regal dignitary, Cordelia wrapped one slender hand around the stem of her glass and raised it in a toast. The girls followed, admiration showing on each pretty face as they all stayed respectfully silence following their heartfelt speech.

"Happy Thanksgiving, girls."

The girls had retreated back to the living room after dinner, hoarding newspapers and mobile phones as they scoured for good Black Friday shopping deals. Madison rolled her eyes as Zoe organized the coupons by store and deal in a small, black binder, adding multi-colored sticky tabs denoting which coupon belongs to which witch.

"You're not going shopping?" Cordelia asked Misty an hour later as the pair settled back into the couch. The rest of the girls were sprawled out around the room, covered in blankets with faces mashed into pillows as they took quick "power naps" to prepare for a long morning of shopping. ("It ain't mornin' if the sun's not even awake yet!" Misty had exclaimed, vehemently shaking her head as Zoe tried to persuade her into coming along.)

"Not really my idea of a good time, Miss Cordelia," Misty smirked, nursing her nightcap between nimble fingers. Her free hand worked through her waves, absentmindedly twirling her loose curls.

"No, it wouldn't be, would it?" Cordelia responded affectionately, lips twisting into a small smile. Her eyes followed as Misty lazily twisted a strand of hair, coiling and uncoiling, and she thought her eyes must be shining with love because the simple gesture had her heart kindling inside her chest, flames of adoration licking at her skin.

"I'd rather be here with you, anyway," Misty confessed, settling her tumbler on the end table. Her cerulean eyes met Cordelia's in earnest, captivating her in such a way that she once again felt the familiar tingling in her skin, the vibrations telling her to pull Misty closer and closer until they could crawl inside of each other, safe and warm, and stay that way forever.

So she did. She reached out and tugged Misty towards her with both hands, pulling her down until they lay together on the couch. Cordelia ran her hands through Misty's hair and shivered when she felt Misty's soft exhale of breath tickle neck. "Oh, how I've missed you," she whispered, reveling in the feeling of Misty relaxing against her, pushing her face deeper into the space between Cordelia's shoulder and neck and digging fingers into her side. If Misty was a boat, Cordelia was her anchor, and she wanted nothing more than to tether herself to the Supreme so they could float together.

"In all my life, I couldn't have imagined meeting someone as wonderful as you," Misty whispered.

"I'm just so happy I got you back," Cordelia replied, her voice thick with emotion as she kept one hand in Misty's hair, moving the other to rub small, comforting circles in between her shoulder blades.

The two women lay like that for a long while, holding one another tightly and breathing each other in until they eventually drifted off to sleep.

They woke a couple hours later, the sounds of their girls moving back and forth from the kitchen to the living room as they prepared to leave for their shopping trip. The smell of coffee filled the room, tickling Cordelia's nose until it forced her eyes open. Stifling a yawn with one hand, she blinked herself awake and watched the flurry of activity taking place in what was arguably the dead of night.

"For fuck's sake, where's the goddamn honey?" Madison groused from the kitchen over the sounds of opening and slamming cabinet doors, never a morning person and particularly grumpy at three AM.

Cordelia eased herself out from under Misty, who only opened her eyes briefly before offering a sleepy smile and burrowing herself back into the cushions with a sigh. Cordelia covered her with a blanket as she suppressed another yawn, making her way to the kitchen to help Madison and the girls before they headed out for the day – or woke the whole neighborhood, whichever came first.

She quickly located the honey for Madison, who grunted a short "thanks" in return and quickly dumped a spoonful in her travel mug before rejoining Zoe and Queenie in the living room. Cordelia followed slowly, issuing her standard words of warning for their safety and accepting Zoe's mature insistence that they would be careful. "And don't spend too much money!" she called to their retreating backs, letting out a strangled groan when Madison simply met her gaze with an all too telling wink.

As the sound of the car's revving engine faded into the night and quiet settled over the house once again, Cordelia heaved a sigh. She was already a light sleeper, and she knew the idea of falling back asleep now was a dead dream. Walking back through the living room, she paused for a moment to stare at Misty's sleeping form on the couch, taking comfort in the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed in, out, in, out. Fighting the impulse to stroke her hair and place a lingering kiss to her forehead, Cordelia walked back into the kitchen to busy herself with cleaning up the remnants of their holiday mess.

She was alive, the Supreme reminded herself, elbow-deep in warm, soapy water. Misty was alive, and she was here, and every single day for the past eight months Cordelia had been able to wake up and see her, touch her, smell her. They drank tea in the greenhouse, sipped wine on the back patio, and even coordinated on lesson plans when Misty slowly integrated herself into the academy after earning her reputation as a respected botanist and healer. Several times now, Cordelia had coaxed her into teaching the students how to mend particularly difficult plants, her power of resurgence inspiring awe and fascination in the young members of their Coven.

"Geez, what did that poor dish ever do to you?" a sleepy voiced rasped from the doorway. Cordelia paused her vicious scrubbing and looked over her shoulder to see Misty leaning against the entryway, arms loosely crossed as she watched Cordelia with an amused grin.

"I hope I didn't wake you," she replied by way of explanation, a sheepish look on her face. "The girls left to go shopping and I just – I couldn't go back to sleep."

Misty didn't reply, just walked over to the sink and rested her head on Cordelia's shoulder, sighing drowsily into her shirt. Cordelia froze, arms stilling in the water when she felt Misty's lips press a gentle kiss against her neck.

"Remember how ya told me I needed to heal, Miss Cordelia?" Misty asked, long lashes tickling Cordelia's neck while strong hands gripped the Supreme's slim waist. Hot breath caressed against soft skin, and the older woman took a deep, shuddering breath as she leaned back into Misty, keening into her touch.

"Yes," she breathed, feeling her heart beat madly inside her chest.

"Well, I reckon I'm healed now."

Cordelia paused for a moment, letting Misty's words sink in until they were embedded in her soul. Thumpthump thumpthump thumpthumpthump. She turned slowly, soap and water dripping down her forearms as she faced Misty in their embrace. "What did you say?" she whispered, eyes fluttering closed when she inhaled a shaky breath.

"I'm healed," Misty hummed, leaning forward and brushing her mouth against Cordelia's ear. The Supreme's wet hands grasped at Misty's back, pulling her closer and digging fingers into her neck. "I'm healed," Misty said again with confidence, pressing her tender words into Cordelia skin with her lips. "I'm healed, Miss Cordelia."

Cordelia pulled back just enough to allow her nose to brush against Misty's. "You're healed?" she asked, eyes flicking between her darkened blue eyes and slightly parted mouth, so close together that their breaths mingled as one.

Misty lightly scratched Cordelia's waist before tugging her flush against her body, angling her head a fraction of an inch to kiss Cordelia's cheek, waiting. A fire burned deep inside the Supreme, and she gave up fighting the flames as they blazed their way through her veins.

She looked into Misty's deep blue eyes one last time, seeking her reassurance, before finally pressing their lips together. She gasped, or maybe Misty gasped, but either way they were kissing and clutching and moaning into each other with the kind of pent up emotion that could only being experienced after literally being to Hell and back.

It was like learning to breathe underwater, Cordelia thought. All she needed to survive was the feeling of Misty's mouth on hers, warm and sweet and teasing, and if she never saw the light of day again it was okay because at least she was drowning in Misty's kiss.

Misty surged her body forward, pushing Cordelia roughly against the counter before biting her plump bottom lip and sucking, her long fingers already untucking Cordelia's silk blouse and scraping over the bare skin of her sides. Cordelia had one hand fisted in Misty's hair and the other clawing at her back as she pushed into her hips harder, desperate to feel every inch of Misty, desperate to bury herself inside her very soul.

Misty ran her tongue over Cordelia's bottom lip one last time before pulling away to press a warm kiss to the corner of her mouth, trailing down her cheek until she got to the soft skin between her jaw and her neck. Cordelia whimpered at the feeling of sharp teeth sinking into her skin, biting and nibbling before quickly being soothed by Misty's warm, velvet tongue.

A particularly forceful nip against her collarbone had Cordelia quietly moaning, kneading her fingernails into Misty's hair to pull her closer before releasing the witch from her bruising, needy grip. Misty raised her head from Cordelia's neck to meet her gaze, both witches panting against each other until their chests were rising and falling as one. Cordelia cupped Misty's cheeks in both palms, using her thumb to trace her cheekbones as she took in the sight of swollen, pink lips and tangled blonde hair.

"It's like the moon herself sent you to me," she marveled, closing her eyes and brushing her lips against Misty's once more. The air around them felt electric, yet quiet, as though they had created their own universe solely from the heat and friction radiating between them.

"I love you, too, Miss Cordelia," Misty responded, allowing two tears to fall from hazy blue eyes. "So much."

Cordelia folded herself into Misty then, allowing herself to feel every repressed emotion she'd pushed down inside since she first met the ethereal swamp witch. Her love had grown slowly, and then all at once, and she hadn't realized how deeply her feelings ran until Misty had turned to dust in her hands.

"I told myself if I ever got you back, I'd never take you for granted," the Supreme confessed, her mouth teeth scraping against the tender skin just under Misty's ear.

"Cordelia?" Misty asked, her voice a soft plea.

"Yes?" she responded, pressing another gentle kiss into her warm skin.

"Take me upstairs."

Hours later, glistening with sweat and breathing heavily, they lay wrapped up in each other's arms. Cordelia had one leg sprawled across Misty's torso, pressing herself into Misty's hip as she draped her body over the taller witch's lithe frame and buried her face into her shoulder. Misty trailed soft fingertips over Cordelia's backbone, lips placed against her forehead as she whispered to her words love and adoration.

"I always knew you'd rescue me," she whispered with conviction, hugging Cordelia tightly. "I loved you before I turned to dust, and I loved you while I was trapped in Hell, and I loved you when you tricked the antichrist itself into bringing me back to you. I loved you from the moment you took my hand and saw my entire life flashing before your eyes, and somehow if it's possible, I love you even more today."

Cordelia pushed herself up on her elbows to kiss Misty again, kissing her like she was suffocating in the desert and Misty was her only source of water. Hungry, desperate, and needy, she kissed her like it was the first time and the last time and their only time, pouring every ounce of love she had into her mouth.

Eventually they slowed, brushing their lips together over and over, sighing into each other's mouth. Misty weaved her hands into Cordelia's hair, pressing one more firm kiss to her lips before tugging her back down and holding her tight against her body.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Cordelia," she said softly, burrowing her face into soft, silky blonde hair.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Misty."

Thank you for reading! Send me prompts on CuriousCat (macncheeze) or Tumblr (michaelawaffles). You can also find me on Twitter at michaelawaffles.