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I will protect you from all that would devour you alive

The more he made for her, the more elaborate the arrangement of them became.

Those that she could identify were placed with others that shared the same regions. She created little scenes, even went so far as to doodle little trees, or bushes, or ponds.

A few, special for reasons she couldn't have explained, made it into her pockets on a daily basis. There for her to run her fingers over, or pull out and smile at.

You know I need somebody

Isaac remained quiet as Gretchen spoke; there was nothing he could say that would absolutely comfort her, nothing that would work as efficiently as his arms tight around the curves of her body. It was as though he tried to impart bits of his own strength into her if she did not have enough of her own.

When she fell silent, all he did was whisper a soft, "You're safe now," as he pressed a kiss to her temple. He hadn't been there for her then, but he was here for her now - and Isaac hoped that it could be enough.

I will protect you from all that would devour you alive

After the briefest of interactions via direct message on twitter, Isaac began leaving her small mobiles; these were filled with far more whimsical creatures (dragons, fairies, unicorns) and while the mobiles were never perfect and oftentimes sagged one way or the other, it was obvious he'd put a multitude of thought into the creations.

It was silly, but it was something shared between them - a good thing in an otherwise wicked world.

It was almost as though for every ounce of anger that Leslie wrenched out of him, Gretchen was given tenderness tenfold.

You know I need somebody

It had been in those short moments while they exchanged messages that she had realized just how much the large man meant to her. Of course she cared for him, adored and cherished him as a friend, but now she was starting to realize that it might be more than that.

Her arms tightened around him as he whispered and kissed her temple. He was so warm, so strong. Maybe safety was nothing but an illusion, but she felt it there in his arms when he held her. Chasing back the shadows and drowning out the ever present hiss of an unhappy weapon in her mind.

The wave of exhaustion that rolled in on the tails of relief and calm was almost staggering, but considering the night she'd had, not entirely unexpected. With a soft whine of a noise she give him a little nudge, then another, angling him towards the bed until he sank down to sit on the edge of it. Then she was climbing up into his lap and laying her head against his shoulder, face turned to press into the warmth of his neck so every long, deep breath carried the scent of his skin.

I will protect you

The mobiles were the cutest things. Lovely little bits of handcrafted affection spinning in slow, lazy circles from her ceiling.

If they weren't quite even, if the mythical and magical beasts weren't all immediately recognizable, Gretchen never minded. She loved them, each and every one.

It made her want to return the favor, but Gretchen had never been all that big on crafts.

So instead she started leaving little notes in his room or in his pockets. They were short things, usually folded into little paper stars. Each one carrying a sweet message, a bit of song lyric, or even a dirty little promise for the next time they saw each other.

You know I need somebody

Isaac had always been... whatever he was needed to be. It had always been like this; he did not always put his own needs above those of others, especially when he felt connected to them the way he did with Gretchen - or even Leslie, to a lesser, uglier extent.

So when she crawled into his lap seeking comfort, he gave it freely because to do anything else simply did not cross his mind. She needed him, and he needed to feel useful - but he also liked knowing that he could provide her with what she required from him.

His hands busied themselves with stroking lazy circles against her back, her knee; really, wherever they happened to land. Isaac kissed her cheek, her temple, her ear. They weren't kisses or touches meant to incite passion. They were sweet and delicate things, mere whispers of his lips against her soft skin.

I will protect you

The notes. The notes, they were becoming one of his favorite things. He never knew when he would find one, never really expected them - but Isaac saved each and every one of them. Sometimes he would read through them again, and again, and again.

The dirty ones were exciting, but the sweet ones were his favorites.

He wanted to frame them, which was very likely a silly thought but... perhaps they would look nice hanging on the walls of his future home.

You know I need somebody

She'd wrap arms around him, legs curling around his hips. Clinging, at first, though with every soft brush of lips she seemed to relax a little more, until she was simply curled around him. Like his, her fingers moved against him, sides or back, in soft little circles beneath the hem of his t-shirt. His skin was always warm, always soft, and she could never really seem to get enough of the feel of it.

Raising her head by inches, she lay a ghost of a kiss against his throat. "Can I stay here?" She knew the answer, but still she asked. Hungry for the sound of his voice, that deep baritone rumble close to her ear and thrumming through his chest.