Welcome to Gaia! ::

They'd let him go with orders keep up a high protein, high calorie diet. He was to take it easy, though as soon as he was able he was supposed to start implementing workouts back into his daily routine. All low impact, and no sparring. They had given him vague, noncommittal responses to his questions involving Lagertha and when/if he'd be able to hear her again, or when/if the damage would heal. Not exactly comforting.

Zeke was trying not to think about it. He had Laggy's totem in his hand down at his side, the other tucked into the pocket of the borrowed scrubs. Attention sort of drifting back and forth into focus as he waited with his back against the wall beside the quarantine room they'd just released him from.

It wasn't hard to tell when she's arrived, he could hear her shrieking before she'd even gotten to the floor he was on. Head shaking, he couldn't help but smile as he turned to watch down the hall she'd be coming from.

Hopefully she'd remember he wasn't at a hundred percent, and not fling herself on him...

----

Harley hadn't even tried to be quiet. Not even slightly. Especially when she was close enough to the once-quarantine to be heard. In her head, it made sense to completely announce her arrival to him long before she actually did, if only to give him time to prepare for the horrors to come.

She rounded the corner to see his figure - a little thinner than she was used to, and much more scraggly - and instantly silenced herself, save for a small and pitched keen that signified a whole slew of emotions. There was certainly a rush of them, and not all of them pleasant in the wake of her near loss of him. She slammed on her own breaks and skid down the rest of the hallway, her shoes screaming against the tiles as friction eventually brought her to a noisy stop in front of him. How she didn't trip was a mystery, and one she wasn't going to question.

Instead she stared up at him - still in awe that she even could - and took in the sight of him. How different he looked to jerk and how almost painful the change was. It was wrong, somehow. All wrong.

But he was here. He hadn't died. He was standing right there in front of her, seemingly in one piece.

Surprisingly, she said nothing. Where there should have been excited conversation, there was silence. Where she once promised a kiss, was instead chilled hands pressing against his face, carefully turning his head this way and that, before moving along to gently and gingerly explore his limbs and body. It was a small pat down, one to count his limbs and the functionality of them, to see if many particular place hurt, or if there were bandages.

He had just been allowed leave, but there he was, in the hallway with the short-shorts wearing redhead, once more getting examined from top to bottom.

----

There are no bandages to find, only the slight thinness in his limbs that he’d already warned her enough, that she’d already seen in the lines of his face, beneath the start of a beard that really wasn't terrible, but definitely needed a tame and shave. “Hey Gingersnap.” A greeting, an attempt to break that obvious tension that had replaced the chaotic excitement the moment she’d laid eyes on him. He understood--or rather, he thought perhaps he could.

He tried to place himself in her shoes, tried to imagine not hearing from her, or from Paige, or from Ever for months, knowing they were somewhere potentially dangerous. Tried to imagine how he’d feel when he got the word that they were back, but in quarantine, but wouldn't tell him what had happened, or how much damage they’d taken. He tried, though he wasn't certain he could grasp the extent of the emotional roller coaster she was feeling. He knew worry though, and he understood fear, and desperation, and relief.

“I’m okay.” He would be. At the moment he was cleansed of the taint from the horsewoman in the desert, and he was free to return to something close to the routine of his life. It was enough, for now.

Dark fingers curled tighter around the runed stone, pressing it into his palm until he could feel the sharp edges of the crack.

At a certain point he’d catch her hand, pull her back up so he could bump the underside of her chin with the backs of his knuckles. “Sooner you get me back to my room, the sooner I’ll fill you in on what happened.” He was sick of the infirmary, the stark lights and the too-clean smell.

----

"Hey there, Cowboy." Harley's voice, while still light, seemed to be missing something small. Something that was once carefree. Between the radio silence and the mall trip that nearly took a handful of her friends, she had had plenty to worry about...even if everything turned out okay on the end. It still happened. He did his soul searching while she pat him down, and by the time he uttered his fairly unconvincing promise and reached down to help her up, she was crouched in front of him.

Well, she was finished anyway, so she felt no issues with taking his hand and hauling herself to her feet, but the light knock to her chin did somewhat surprise her.

"...Oh! Yes. Of course." Blue eyes blinked for a moment, her expression almost stunned as if she were being presented with a miraculous idea - and right then, it was. It was astonishing for her to suddenly have a goal other than 'reassure that he was real'...

Then, suddenly, she grinned.

Her stance shifted a little bit, the tension in her stance melting away easily.

"Okay but first?" She started, the lightness returning to her voice little by little, her hands splaying in front of her like she were fanning a new product. "I know you want away from here ASAP but like...just hear me out?" Then her hands pressed against his chest, sliding up to curve around to behind his neck before burying into his hair at the same moment she brought her lips against his, pressing in for that big ol'kiss she had warned him about.

The fact they were in the hallway outside of the quarantine zone meant nothing to her, especially as she leaned into him, pressing herself as close to him as their situation would allow.

----

He didn't want to see that worried look on those baby blues. It had been one thing having her dote on him, waiting for him to be released so she could rush over to see him-he liked the attention, a lot--but it was quite another thing seeing that lost look in her eyes and that bright smile fading. He didn't like that, not one bit. It reminded him of the way Paige has looked at him, and Ever. A reminder of how close he'd really come to death.

So it was a relief when she flashed him that grin, like she was up to no good. Familiar and endearing. He had to smile back, that easy twitch of lips, before she held up her hands, delaying their departure.

"Harley." That was as far as he got before hands on his chest cut off the rest of the protest. He blinked down at as she leaned into him, bit back the soft grunt as his ribs protested. Still sore, but not so bad that he couldn't ignore it.

Was happy to ignore it as Harley rose up on her toes to catch his lips. He hadn't quite forgotten that she'd promised a kiss, but he hadn't been expecting it quite so immediately. It was startling, but in a good way. It reminded him that he was alive, that blood still pumped through his body. He blinked once, before drawing his hands up against her back, pulling her in against him as the kiss lingered on.

----

Oh, she had missed this. Sure, his body felt different against hers, and the facial hair was a new experience, but that part wasn't unpleasant. Despite the differences, it was still him. The feel of his mouth against hers, and the way his hands pressed against her back. It was like the last time, and that was something of a cherished memory. Plus, it was solid proof that he was actually here. There had been nobody messing with her phone or her perception.

The one lingering kiss finally broke into others. The first few were heavy with the need to be close and the relief that came with being able to do something so simple, but the last few were quick and peckish, as though she didn't want to pause but had to. They were still in the hallway after all, and she did still have to take him back to his room for the story she wasn't sure she even wanted to hear anymore (but would most definitely ask about anyway). Soon, her hands drew away from the back of his head, sliding forward until she was holding the sides of his face. Then, her final kiss was punctuated by a completely ridiculous 'mwah!' noise and the same up-to-no-good grin she had on before.

"Good talk, Sailor." She laughed breathlessly, patting his cheeks lightly before letting her hands drop then swing back with every intention of peeling his arms from around her. They had to go back to his room now, of course, but she wasn't about to budge until she could lay claim to a hand.

---

It was quite the reception. More than he’d been expecting, really. It wasn't the first time they’d kissed like this, though it had been while since that delightful trip to California, and any kissing that had followed had not quite carried this level of intensity. It was easy to melt into it, easy to let his mind go blank as his hands smoothed over her back, thumbs working in small circles to either side of her spine. Seconds, minutes, he wasn't sure. One exchange bled into the next, heated at first, desperate things, before tapering into something sweeter, ending with an exaggerated sound and palms cupping his cheeks.

He had to smile at her as she looked up at him, voice breathy. Had to chuckle himself, equally as breathless, amused.

When she went for his arms he loosened them with some measure of reluctance, but it was easy for to take up her hand, offer a little reassuring squeeze.

He hadn't been kidding about needing help back to his room though. He might have been up on his feet, but he leaned on Harley as they walked, letting her take some of his weight. He still didn't have all his strength back yet, and with Lagertha in her sorry state he was left to recover almost human slow. The others were better off, they’d regained their strength quicker, been discharged faster.

When they reached his room he tucked Lagertha’s totem into his pocket, pulling his key out in turn so he could unlock the door and push it open.

Ezekiel perfectly happy with listening quietly as Harley filled him in on all the crazy shenanigans she'd gotten up to while he'd been more or less dead to the world over the last two months. On the one hand it was very amusing. The girl was a trip. Energetic and wild, and completely unpredictable. It was why Zeke liked her, she kept him on his toes. On the other hand, he felt a slight pang in his gut as the stretch of lost time really settled around him. He had been aware, but in quarantine, with only Cee, Paige, and Ever as company, it just hadn't really sunk in, not like this.

The hand in his pocket closed a little tighter around Lagertha's pendant, once again pressing the sharp edge of the crack into his palm, before his grip loosened.

Steppinging into his room with her help, Zeke had to laugh. She'd warned him about the octopi, but he'd forgotten. Now it was all coming back to him, and she had not been kidding. There looked like there were literally hundreds.

If he could have managed it without doubling over in pain, he'd have scooped a few up for a closer look. It would have to wait though, until either mobility returned or Harley grabbed a few for him. Right that moment though, the prospect of slipping into one of his more worn, soft pairs of sleeping pants was just too good to pass up.

He looked up at her as she scrutinized him, brows arched curiously, before nodding his head towards the dresser. "Second drawer, plaid pajama bottoms." Lagertha's totem was drawn out of his pocket and set on the bed beside him, then he was going for the hem of his top, trying to drag the shirt up over his head, and ceasing almost immediately when the motion pulled on tender ribs and a still too sore shoulder. He winced, sucking in a breath through his teeth, and eased his arms back down with a soft sound of frustration.

The octopi were going to be collected and kept in a drawer so he could look at them and laugh whenever he felt like it. The octopi were amazing.

He looked up at her as she returned to him with pajama bottoms in hand, and offered a very grateful smile as she offered her assistance. "God yes." If she could lift the bottom over his head, down his arms-

"What?" Pretty blue eyes were looking down at the bed, the pendent sitting on the blankets beside him, and Zeke drew in a breath, holding it for a moment before letting it out slowly. The leather cord was hooked with a finger, and it drew it up carefully so he could hold it out for her to take, if she wanted to. "Lagertha's totem." He wasn't sure if he'd mentioned the valkyrie's name to her before, but even if he hadn't she could probably put two and two together.

He both did and didn't want to talk about it. The silence in his head was a constant reminder, not that he needed it with the ache in his shoulder. There were times he just tried not to think about it, tried to turn his brain off, but it wasn't easy. Besides, He owed Harley an explanation about what had happened while he was gone. If she wanted to hear it, he'd tell her everything.

But first, he really wanted out of the scrubs and into something more comfortable. "How about that help, gorgeous?"

An auburn brow arched at the start of that question, but she didn't finish it. Instead focus returned to getting the top over his head so he could change into the other pants. Honestly, scrub bottoms were pretty comfortable, but he was just sick of them. Sick of the feel of that light, cool cotton next to his skin. Sick of the color. Sick of the smell of antiseptic that clung to them and all the thoughts that too familiar scent conjured up. He wanted a taste of normalcy. His room, his clothes, his bed. Her.

She reminded him of better things. She was bright, and vivacious, and spontaneous. She was a tease, and a flirt, and absolutely enticing.

That almost hesitant grin was matched, smile for smile, as she moved in front of him. "Thank you." She expected her to go for the back of the shirt, so she could shimmy it up to his shoulders. What he didn't expect was for her to straddle his lap to do it. He blinked as she moved in closer, hands moving instinctively to her hips to help steady her as she leaned over him. The purr to her voice was promising in a way he recognized. A soft tease, a hint. He chuckled, let his head fall against her shoulder, and drew his right shoulder in. The left was a little too tender for it.

Of all the times to turn up the flirtation, now would be the safest for her. Weak, lacking considerable mobility, he was rather literally at her mercy for the foreseeable future. Be kind.

The neck of the top came up over his head, and he let out a sound that was half pain and half sigh of relief. Happily he pulled the shirt off his arms, tossed it across the room towards the clear space on the floor the door had left. "Think I can manage at least that much." Shirtless,the signs of wear and tear were more obvious. Subtle bruising around his ribs on the left side, fluttery, odd scars on the back of his shoulder. With his hands free again, he returned them to her hips, resting there lightly.

For a long moment he watched her as her forehead rested against his own. Studied those soft features, every curve, every bend, every subtle nuance that made her who she was. Over two months apart, and he could have recalled the exact blue of her eyes or the shape of her lips. He'd always had a good eye for detail, a lasting memory, but that seldom extended to the people around him, because they didn't matter. Few ever had, and that hadn't changed when he'd been recruited to Deus. Zeke was a fickle thing, easily bored. It took a lot to get his attention, a lot more to keep it. Harley had it, and she kept it.

Soft hands at the side of his neck had him smile, and he lifted one of his own to touch the back of her knuckles before she was lifting her head again, slipping off his lap to couch on the floor near his feet.

Chuckling he pulled the draw string on his scrub bottoms. "I might, bending is a chore at the moment." One he'd rather avoid, if he could help it. "However, I didn't get to keep my skivvies in my extended stay in the infirmary. So..." He trailed off, let that sink in for a moment.

Obviously it didn't matter to Zeke if she saw him in the buff. For one thing, he was still hoping their relationship headed in that direction eventually. For another, Zeke didn't have much in the way of shame. He wandered around the Dorm halls frequently in nothing but a towel knotted around his waste, and there was a picture floating around on the Deus network of him from chest to mid thigh.

"You don't have to," he assured her, watching her reaction to that little bit of news. The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable. There were some he'd poke at, prod at, or push, but he'd never been that way with her. She managed to bring out a more patient side from the Mist. "I'm sure I can probably manage it on my own, but if you want to grab a pair from the top drawer that'd be a lot of help."

She looked a little lost, and he didn't think it was just the prospect of seeing him in the buff. Head tilted thoughtfully to one side, he moved one of his legs to hook his foot behind her, tugging her close enough so he could touch her cheek.

She smiled again as he pulled her in, touched her cheek, and he smiled with her. That was much better. The situation was already serious enough without him making her uncomfortable.

A little reluctantly he let his hand fall away, foot dropping back down to the ground beside her as he gave a shrug that was meant to mean 'by all means'. "I dunno if I can promise that, but I'll do my best." This came with a roguish grin, a shadow of the sort of wolfish leers he had given her in the past. Half-hearted and lacking in any real intent.

A second later he lay back against the bed, one hand coming to rest on his chest while the other went for Lagertha's pendant. The cracked stone was held up in front of his face, left to swing slowly from it's leather cord as he looked up at it. He missed her voice, her presence. Their partnership had started out rocky, but they'd reached an agreement, an understanding. It was strange, not having her there, even in silence she had loomed in his mind, a bright spot of energy that never truly dimmed. Now she was gone, and everything was dark again.

Well, not everything.

He did as he was asked, pushing against the floor with his feet so she could slide the scrubs down off his hips and over his thighs. He seemed in his own little world for a moment, despite the fact she was stripping him nude, and that was paramount to just how severe the broken totem was. If that small, broken stone, could hold his attention as the backs of her knuckles slid down the outsides of his thighs, then that certainly spoke volumes.

"They told me she would, but not when, or if there would be lasting damage." His tone was very matter-of-fact, devoid of the doubt and the worry. After a moment the hand on his chest lifted, catching the bottom of the stone pendent and turning it so the crack caught the light. "Soon, I hope. It's too damn quiet in my head now." Turning it into a joke didn't fix things, but it would lighten the mood a bit. Make things a little less awkward or serious between them.

As she tugged at the scrubs he let slip away the perfect opportunity for a joke. And she, perhaps, was the only person who'd receive that level of classiness from the Mist.