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 Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 6:24 pm
As soon as he'd gotten out - he'd gotten gone. In the direction he imagined they would go, the one place she could've been taken, if she'd not been kidnapped, prayed she'd not been kidnapped, because no - he couldn't do that again.
Shoved that worry aside because the Super that'd started it all with them had intonated as much - that Hatsya was wounded - but safe? With Benitotite, and how they'd vanished together, and how it would be an easy enough thing to check if only he could focus enough to do it.
Prehnite snarled as the sensation of pins embedded in flesh faded off. The smattering of quills that had pierced cloth and how it slowly disappeared, wasted no time to check himself, because his Senshi was missing. Hissed at the thought of that, breathed the heat of anger and worry off...
Not gone - not dead - please not dead.
An easy thing to call out to Benitoite on the coms - get a brief local - get an identifier of the man he'd be looking for just inside - grateful now more than ever for the General who he would owe a great deal to in the aftermath of whatever was to come. Easier still to head to the hospital, shirk his guise a block before, because a beacon of power traipsing into a place of healing was a bad idea always - because the meeting had been a scant few weeks ago - and he didn't have enough of a head about himself to remember the establishing rules of the place.
All Lepidolites lovely booming words. How good that they'd come across such boon as this - made explaining maces to the face and strange magical injuries far easier; or so he imagined.
Where Prehnite fell away - Reed walked in through sliding glass doors. Fell in line, looked for a blond, because they'd never really met outside of passing halls and passing missions. Weren't personable with each others plain clothed visages, unless Beni had been by the school, and maybe then?
Approached the first person he saw who could've - and if he was wrong he'd harangue the front desk staff - hoped he wasn't wrong though...
"Where is she?"
It was the only question that mattered. His tone, his inflection, the obviousness of his concern. Negligible in the face of getting an answer to that singular question.
It was the only question that mattered. His tone, his inflection, the obviousness of his concern. Negligible in the face of getting an answer to that singular question.
Parsed to the wrong person - because Benitonite? Was nowhere in sight, more likely that he was and Reed simply didn’t know the man in plainclothes, and why would he have? Every interaction - every happenstance mission gone awry - spotting an aura was one thing. Spotting a blond who’s glamour was unknown to him. Which left him to pace and stew beneath his own want. Falter for his inability to manage such a simple thing as ‘find the General who’d whisked away his subordinate..’
A want for blood simmered beneath skin that felt too thin - too human - a useless paper wrapping over what had moments ago been power and grace. He’d ceased his pacing if only because the thread of needles that had dissolved with the magic still burned with every twitch.
Filthy ******** porcupine.
Except Prehnite wasn’t mad with him, at him maybe, for having been the catalyst of distraction that had led to the mess of it all, but with him? Hardly. He doubted he’d remember the needle bearing senshis moniker let alone the sting of his needles once it healed. No more than he’d remember the petal chibi.
Would, absolutely, and with all of himself, take ire and vicious frothing pleasure with hunting down the Transcendent who’d really caused the mess of it all. Wanted to lay all the spiked guilt on he who’d sprung in out of nowhere to attack them over a petal dancing chibi who had no right being anywhere near the battle -
Except even he could recognize how swift he was to displace his own feelings on - literally anyone else - anything at all to not feel at fault. To not feel like he’d reneged on his promise so swiftly. How useless were his words if he couldn’t keep them honest for more than an hour!?
Emerald gaze slanted across the room at a familiar name - at - and Reed felt himself freeze up - stall in place - welded to the floor as he caught a glimpse of her alive.
Alive alive alive -
The anger for that, for her hurt, how it washed into something else, how he couldn’t place the emotion for it. Could only gape and stare into the middle distance a thousand yards and wait for her to be freed of the staff long enough.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 4:18 pm
“Are you sure there’s no one we can call for you?” The nurse asked once more as he pushed the wheelchair down the hallway towards the waiting room in front of the ER.
Sonia nodded numbly.
For most of this visit she had remained silent, a vacant expression as she stared almost unblinkingly out the window. Only really nodding her head either yes or no to their incessant questions.
Compared to the last time she’d been rushed to the hospital, this was almost negligible; an arm compared to almost her entire body. By some miracle her head and spine were not injured by the hail, but the rest of her was not unmared. Still, being hit by the star-shaped flail hurt like a b***h and Alexandre carrying her here didn’t help with the pain.
Guilt washed over her for getting blood on his uniform but was reminded that it could not stain.
Ushered to the back she assumed he returned to the park and resumed fighting the other Senshi and Knights. No reason to stay when nobody knew how long it would take. He was her former General and had no reason to worry nor care and truthfully speaking, Sonia didn’t blame him. He chose to bring her here mid-battle and that shined more on his character than she deserved after trying to kill him a few years prior.
“I don’t want to bother my parents,” she finally spoke, voice hoarse and barely audible. Left arm encased in a mesh-like cast, something 3-D printed off a new machine, it hung in a sling that went over one shoulder and had a belt that wrapped around her waist for stability.
More like she didn’t want them to know what happened, to see that she’d been injured so soon after moving out. As for Reed, he was likely still powered at the park or had run home to take their now scorched dinner out of the oven. If not that, then likely in his study doing something.
“Alright, well… I’ll ask someone at the reception desk to call you a taxi.” The man’s voice was calm as he pushed the handicap button on the wall to open the double doors leading into the waiting area.
Again she simply nodded. Already steeling her heart against the knowledge that there’d be nobody waiting, nobody she could call to just lean against until the stupid drugs wore off. While whatever they gave her had dulled the pain, they also made her feel like an observer to her own life's story; not all there while some piece of her stood at the other end of the room watching with a grim expression.
A three inch cut down the left side of her face, splitting the end of her eyebrow with an angry red line. It was shallow enough to not need stitches but left her face bruised and purple. It was held closed by two butterfly bandaids and with care it shouldn’t leave an obvious mark. Not that she cared at this point. The cuts on her arm, however, did require some stitches after the bone had been reset; four in one and two in the other, both covered by gauze and some tape that were more annoying than anything.
Sunset colored eyes were dulled by the absence of her usual fire, her focus set somewhere beyond the tiled floor and sanitary white walls. The nurse paused by the front desk to talk to registration and that was when her slow wandering gaze fell upon a familiar pair of shoes.
The foggy haze that blanketed her mind shifted and Sonia blinked slowly, brows pulling together as she tried to process the moment.
Why… was all her mind could think, Why…
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 4:43 pm
The orderly's back was turned, busy chatting with someone over something, Reed didn’t care. Three sheets of ******** to the wind that he gave for whomever else was hovering around her as he strode in. Strode up to Sonia and - tremor in his hands as he thought to reach for her. Traitorous tremulous catch in his throat as he thought better of it all entirely and instead crouched before her.
Set wet emeralds that warred sorrow and rage up in a way where she could see him better from her position in the chair - from where her gaze was cast to the floor like a setting sun instead of a rising fire.
She was alive.
Battered and bruised, a break to an arm clear as day by the cast that adorned it, and a bleed of a gash that marred her otherwise passable features. All would’ve been fine except for the look in her eyes. All of that could be fixed - the external - the visage.
The inside though? Reed was ill equipped for such and focused instead on his utter relief that she was ‘alive’.
Alive, alive, alive!
No dead little girls - no bodies to mourn - no cold wash of calmness that came to take away the need for even that. “Sonia? Are….We should…” and it was a thing. To reach out and touch the top of her foot. Force some stillness and steel into his watery spine and set his hand atop it. Not willing to touch anywhere else for fear of causing hurt. Not willing to run his mouth for fear of the rage that would spill out like poison - not for her- never for her, but for everything else!?
“Is there someone I need to speak with, so that we can go home?” a glance cast to the desk, the woman there. Unsure of how to claim himself to her - family - friend - other? Pause and swallow for having to face that one down - as soon as he could get Sonias attention….
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 4:45 pm
Anxiety and panic rose rapidly beneath the careful mask of indifference, every molecule in her body feeling as if it had been jolted by an electrical current, ready to explode out from her skin but the pain killers, the haze, the locked wheels on the chair that kept her from retreating back through the double doors and into the hallway to just -
Just what?
Reed cautiously approached, knelt before her to level his gaze with her but Sonia turned her head and looked away. She didn’t want his pity, didn’t want to acknowledge his worry, didn’t want him to touch her, look at her, to see her like… this.
Dry lips pressed into a thin line, biting down firmly on the lower she tried desperately hard to keep them from quivering.
Don’t… Sonia’s breath hitched, chest tightening, she could feel the sting of tears before they blurred the line of chairs behind him into a streak of blue and silver. Please, don’t- Her own incoherent, incomplete thoughts only fueled the frustration and with her free hand she moved to wipe the tears but it was too late.
One blink was all it took to send a trail of tears down her red blotchy cheeks and onto the black fabric sling.
“Don’t-” Sonia tried to speak, tried to tell him not to look at her. This was not her, this was not who she aspired to be. Not some overly emotional woman who ugly cried like a child that had fallen from their bike.
He knew that it had been some time since she’d last powered up. Promised to not leave her. He lied and that betrayal hurt more than the cut on her face or her broken arm. But she knew better than to lay the blame solely on him, had enough time over the last several hours to play through the moments over… and over… and over… and over again.
It was that damned chibi that deserved her ire, the one with the wall of petals that kept her from keeping up with Prehnite. Yet, in this moment, rational thought be damned, her anger and hate fell upon the shoulders of the only one close enough for her to hit. Had Benitoite not intervened, Sonia wondered if her place of rest would be in the morgue rather than her bed this evening.
The nurse turned towards them, noticed the way her expression changed from impassive and blank to one of hurt and pain. “Ms. De La Cruz, should I get sec--” Sonia shook her head before he could finish his sentence.
Home he had said, and that was the word she tried to hold onto when finally she dared to look down at him.
Her bed.
The quilted comforter made by her grandmother.
The star lantern that would no doubt be left on in the coming nights. A soft glow that cast long shadows but offered warmth and comfort where there otherwise was none once she left her room.
Reed’s expression made her heart wrench. Yet all she could think of was how much more she was his burden to bear, an inconvenience upon his weekly routines, a thorn amongst roses of his precious garden. Either a stepping stone or a hindrance to an owed promotion.
The look in her eyes was no more than a reflection of the vibrant sunset above the ocean. The beauty mirrored in the ripples, distorting and blending the hues into something drowned out and left to sink into nothingness.
The hate she felt towards him paled in comparison to how much she hated herself for falling apart so easily. For appearing so weak and fragile but most of all she hated that she needed him.
Not needed… but wanted him here.
Expected to be alone, but noticed him standing a ways away. Anticipated a stinging remark, but his tone was anything if not gentle. Reed lied, but did he really? No, she already knew the answer before being discharged.
And yet-
Everything about this moment was not as she thought it would be and that confused her more than anything. Would blame the drugs for it later but for now Soina reached out with her one free hand, hesitating a moment thinking this might be some elaborate hallucination before lightly touching his cheek, the edge of his bangs. The weight of his hand on her foot should have been enough but it didn’t really register in her mind the same way as the feel of the fabric beneath her fingers when she touched his sleeve.
All she wanted to just fall to her knees and hide her face against his shoulder. Didn’t need a hug or any comforting embrace. Only a place to hide her horribly ugly tears and red rimmed eyes until she could calm herself down.
Would have been easier if he’d gone home. Allow her the chance to just slip inside and hide in her room until she was ready to see him, to speak to him.
Home, he had said, and she wanted nothing more than to be anywhere but here. A place where people watched her emotional display with a mix of worry or concern; wasn’t sure if it was for her health or safety. Not that it mattered, Sonia didn’t care much what they thought. But him, Reed. His thoughts mattered because they lived together, she had to see him on an almost daily basis. Worked with him on some nights… not that it would still be a thing until her arm was at least healed; even then she wasn’t sure if he’d risk having her around.
Sonia leaned forward, paused in hesitation, curled into herself some then dared to lean the rest of the way. Forehead to shoulder. A moment, a second, something-someone stable to lean on if only so she wouldn’t have to speak so loudly.
“Please,” her voice barely audible, no more than a shaky whisper. “Please, take me home.” Sonia all but pleaded.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 4:54 pm
Snap of glass that felt internal, spiked and hooked far worse than any pin of magic quill. The way Reed flinched for having caused further upset by his presence alone - and she didn’t even want to see him - couldn’t even stand for him to reach for her.
As if his touch at her heel were a dagger - a scald.
It was fine. Warranted. Her hatred and ire and he couldn’t blame her for a bit of it. Thorned thing is his mind that drove inward, because of course he would be the last person in existence she’d want to deal with.
He’d done this to her. He was at fault.
He was a monstrous thing, he knew, with monstrous habits; that broke promises, time and again, at parties, on missions. Said one thing and then did another irreparable thing. Layered innocuous hurts upon each other, like an errant owner - as if he’d forgotten her.
Except she was no pet tied to a pole waiting on his order. She was a person, and how did he treat her? As forgettable, as beneath his notice…
Vicious b*****d that he was, who’d so selfishly come in and broken her family into pieces, snatched her from her home under threat of ‘worse’ things, simply because he didn’t want to inconvenience himself with suffering ‘worse things’.
Shuddered and steeled himself against the knowledge of that. Straightened his spine and turned away. He could give her that, at least, fill that one request without fail. Avert his gaze and offer some semblance of peace without errantly ******** her over one more time.
He could stop trying, stop playing at being someone who could deal with people well enough to be worth them.
Look he gave the orderlies, that could’ve curdled milk. That could’ve salted the earth into infertility. For bothering them, even on behalf of her. Despite how little it must have done to make him seem like someone who should’ve been let near her at all. Flagrant disabuse so obvious that even other people took note of it without even needing context—
Soft brush of nail over hair —- that broke him from his spiral, cold water on his need to gnash and bare his teeth at others.
The flutter of that which had him in free fall. Whiplash brought up short into tight hot focus on her. Tunnel vision for her touch. Undeserved, that she would offer an olive branch when he’d burned down the whole ******** orchard.
Home - she wanted to go *home*.
In that moment he could’ve crawled back into the rift and become mulch. Held her instead - settled a hand on her uninjured shoulder as he took her weight - let her have him to lean on, however briefly she could stand it.
She wanted to go home - and he’d ruined that for her - *stolen it from her* - couldn’t return her there *like this.*
Swallowed air and saliva and ignored how jagged it felt, how it prickled at the corners of his eyes like unshed tears, cut him raw like blades.
“Alright…” and he could at least sound like someone who had control over themselves. “That’s alright. We can go home…I’ll take you home” and if an apology could’ve been given, if any words were good enough for that?
For Sonia - for the nurses he’d have to eat his pride to speak with about - a great deal of many things. Pain medications and care procedures and ‘no he was not abusive’ -lie for that- and ‘yes, she was going home with him’ -agony for that-
Deserved it, weathered it, unlocked the wheels on Sonias chair and took her from the sterile stench of ill and clean that permeated the lobby.
Took her out and took her home and ——
If she slept—
If he teleported them upstairs—-
If he *stayed*, because his Captain had done that for him, once. Richterite had been good, had been careful, had come to rescue him once, too?
If Reed thought past the wall of himself he could touch the old memory of it without shattering, touch the scars and breath past it to find the scraps of humanity those moments once held.
Crying on a couch - with the lights on to chase off the dark shadows that held enemies at every corner of a tiny cell. Of being a young lieutenant who someone had finally come for…
Wished he had someone to rescue Sonia from his failings, for all that this was different from that?
Oh, but how it felt the same.
How it felt worse.
“Sonia?” and she was an easy weight to place in the bed. It was a simple task to turn on the lights, bathroom, star lamp, other…
“Is there…no…what can I get you?” a cup of water, more pain killers, his still beating heart? Would’ve carved it out on his own - would’ve called someone else to care for her after and return her to her parents - carved it out after. Just to make sure his orders were followed so she could be well.
A worthy end to seek.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 4:57 pm
She could have walked, albeit slow, careful steps if she’d been on her own. But when he picked her up, one arm beneath both knees and one behind her back, Sonia offered no measure of protest. Instead, leaned her head against Reeds shoulder; swollen eyes and blotchy face still hidden from view but at least she was more calm now that they were no longer around where strangers watched and judged her emotional display.
The pleasant warmth he offered was soon gone; replaced by cold bedsheets and pillows behind her. His scent, however, still lingered. Unlike her father, who often smelled of wood dust, metal shavings and paint. Or her mother who often carried the scent of pleasant meals recently prepared or of dawn dish soap from cleaning up afterwards. Reed reminded her of vetiver; a damp earthy tone after a heavy spring rain that clung to him like a second skin and Sonia found that she didn’t mind it as much as one might think; likely because she often slept with her window open and had grown used to his garden.
He’d asked her a question and it took a moment to finally respond. “Nothing…” Her voice hoarse, barely above a whisper out of
fear that she’d break down again.
Ever prideful in it’s magnificent radiance, never would the sun bow to the earth and yet Sonia found it nigh impossible to meet his emerald green gaze. Physically broken, eyes swollen and complexion marred by unsightly red spots from earlier tears. Looked likely as pathetic as she felt.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 5:12 pm
Of course she wanted nothing from him, and that was fine. It was all fine. Just…
Fine-
Just because she wanted nothing from him didn’t mean he couldn’t still do things. Couldn’t compile obvious necessities around her, in the general vicinity of her reach.
Make things easy. It was his own ******** house afterall? If he wanted to tear it apart and build it up around her, to go play fetch and ensure the various things the nurses had made note of were at the ready if needed by her...
Just because she didn’t want to look at him? It didn’t mean he couldn’t look after her. He knew this part as easily as he knew all the others - it was familiar territory - caring for injuries. His own if not others, for whoever else had he bade into his home like this?
None. No one. Not a single other soul. A body was a body though. Bone, blood, and sinew. It all healed the same for the most part.
So he treated her as himself. Latched onto the concept of ‘If it were him’ - his body - the things he would have needed in his room to aid in mending. It was on that thought alone that he did what he thought he should have. Cold water bottles and small pill bottles, placed everything close at hand. Silent servant who didn’t demand conversation, because she’d made it clear she wanted nothing. Saying nothing was easy, and technically? He was doing the least - doing practically nothing at all..
If he raided his own downstairs for extra throws, blanket and pillow alike, because broken things should’ve been propped and protected properly. That too was nothing, because those things meant nothing to him - the whole of it did - not a thing that occupied the space he resided in that had nearly as much worth as her.
Maybe his garden? But he wasn’t likely to drag that into his home.
He could fetch her things and make the space comfortable and ensure she wouldn’t want for anything. If she called him out on it? He’d deny it all. Claim she was hallucinating because it was just a bunch of nothing that he was placing on her bed, her nightstand, and adjusting with various amounts of quiet care.
If he also at some point perched himself in her doorway - just to watch her breathe - because he wouldn’t stand to wake to a corpse. Grievously injured or not it was the idea - and that sent enough of a shudder through his soul to make the decision for him.
He didn’t sleep anyhow...he had a tablet...a phone..he could even pretend to work while she slept? Could listen for her, could stare off into the middle distance and claim accurately that he continued to do nothing at all, because he knew damn well he wouldn’t get anything done until the sun peeked through the drawn blinds. Not sleep, not work. Just nothing. Which was fine..
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 5:18 pm
Sonia wasn’t so far gone from the pain meds to not see what he was doing.
“Reed…” Her movements were slow, but as he positioned yet another pillow around her, she reached out with her one good arm. Grip weak but she held onto his wrist hoping he didn’t jerk his arm away because that would be jaring and hurt more than she’d be able to ignore. “Stop, please.”
“Just sit,” A difficult task but with some effort Sonia looked up at him imploringly. “You promised.” Again her gaze drifted down to where she held. “You promised not to leave. Please, just sit.” Exhaustion weighed heavily on her shoulders.
Letting go of him she moved, wincing at the motion of it, and positioned one of the spare pillows atop another against the wall; a back cushion of sorts but offered space for him next to her. In any other context her request might seem questionable but that was not where her thoughts were at. “I don’t- don’t need anything else. I just-” Heart wrenched at the thought of admitting a vulnerability.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 5:31 pm
Claxon of horrors that turned him into a marble statuette when she asked him to stop. Froze under her grip like it was steel instead of a weak flutter of a thing that a breeze could’ve broken. Might as well have been chains, heavy and leaden, for all that he did just that.
Stopped. Moving, and breathing, and stilled. Long enough to listen over the frantic beat of pulse in his ears, because if he couldn’t even do this? If she wouldn’t even allow him the chance to do so little a thing….
He had promised though. Reminder of that nail in his heart. No bloodless vampire who could simply dust for the accusation that was a beg of decency on his part. He’d promised, and broken that, and maybe he was still breaking his promises to her? Unwitting bull in her china shop, trying to outthink her, to overdo - too much - everything - anything at all?
Couldn’t put his finger on why. So he swallowed it all down, his pride and panic, and he sat with her. Remembered to breathe at some point, to take his shoes off out of her bed because he was not an absolute heathen. Wanted to remove hers, because that was a thing she did, culturally even? Except…
She hadn’t liked that, and didn’t want the touch. Sitting though. He could manage that.Quiet presence at her side that tried to be more than just a mannequin in a skin suit adjusting itself into a propped position. “It’s fine.”
‘oh look, he could remember to speak too, a wonder.’
“This is fine, Sonia. Whatever you want? It’s fine.” wouldn’t say he promised, because how dare he spew one more lie? He could offer her his actions though. Settle in and very carefully give her someone to be next to. Keep the monsters at bay by being the biggest monster in the room - sense that it made for him to wrap his thoughts around it that way, because he understood nightmares as a course? Being one, being chased by them, could maybe take up residence as something to chase them off from her, however briefly?
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 5:33 pm
What she wanted wasn’t something that could be asked for. Not without consequences upon both of them.
Each step until now had been meticulously planned. The fake searches for a new place to stay, interviewing roommates she had no intention of moving in with. Rearranging his home to suit her needs so that there was a room suitable enough to live in. Everything planned to create the perfectly believable illusion that this decision to leave home was nothing more than a need to reclaim some independence.
A beautiful deception that would crumble to dust if Reed had done as she had wanted, to take her home. To lay on the familiar couch, head resting in her mothers lap. Slender fingers with manicured nails running through her hair until finally she fell asleep.
Small comforts she could never ask him for.
Her parents weren’t stupid, they would see her broken arm as evidence of history repeating itself and demand she move back. Only god knew what her father would do, likely blame him for the injury despite her insistence that it wasn’t his fault. Honestly, she wasn’t sure who the police would arrest if things got out of hand.
Reed may seem unassuming, polite when the situation demands it of him, but as Prehnite… he was as lethal as a poisonous flower; beautiful yet deadly if pushed too far, and the twin trowels he wielded were nothing to turn your nose up at.
Best if her family remained unaware.
“This wasn’t how the night was supposed to go…” The chicken parmesan likely had to be thrown away. Only needed forty-five minutes to cook and they were both gone much longer than that. “I was looking forward to dinner with you,” tears stung her already dry eyes and she felt somewhat amazed she had any left to shed. “I’m sorry…”
“I’m sorry.” She repeated more quietly.
Ultimately this was her fault and Sonia acknowledged that fact. Had she come home after work rather than intentionally delaying their scheduled patrol then the two of them would have likely been home when that battle at the park took place. This night could have gone- no, would have gone so differently.
“Will you-” Sonia paused, could taste the salty unshed tears, and swallowed thickly. “Please stay. At least- at least until I fall asleep.” Even then she wished he’d stay but if she wasn’t awake would it matter if he retreated to his own room?
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 5:35 pm
He hadn’t even spared a thought to dinner, cracked little snort of sound for the ruin of that. The small bit of planned goodness, likely burnt to ash and char. A wonder his house wasn’t on fire?
Entirely likely the oven had shut itself off after so much time gone by. Just as likely that he would be binning the whole of the dinner, to escape the compounding reminder of his failure as much to avoid having to do dishes.
“It wasn’t....” wet gravel stirred by a rake, swallowed over the stones of it, hated that his voice sounded wet when his eyes were dry. Couldn’t bring himself to steal the moment of her tears, her right to cry. Wouldn’t sully it with his own, when they were so undeserved.
Drank air gently and he could do this, couldn’t he? Knew how to do this one thing - told himself that - faint misting of memory. A watchful friend that had stayed, showed compassion to him once…
Distant model of what a good Captain was, a good person. Reed worked to emulate the motions of it. Played mimic - a slight repositioning that made it easier to cradle her against him. Stole her weight a little and just - if she hated it she could tell him - obviously - could tear out his throat with her teeth?
Barest nudge of cool knuckles against her temple, that became a gentle trailing of blunted nails over her scalp, over sweat touched strands that resembled fire and silk.
Breathed around the sharpness of it all, where it lay in his throat, in his center, and offered an answer that played it off. Injected dry humor over the raw wet feelings, because it wasn’t her fault. She had nothing to apologize for. “Where else would I go? I live here, this is my bed even, technically…”
It was fine if he stayed. Certainly the least of what he owed her, to stand guard over her as she slept.
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