Chapter One: The Meeting

[backinthsaddle]

Homework, the bane of nearly every student's existence.

Cole's sitting on the couch, surrounded by a modest stack of textbooks, a notebook balanced on his thigh as he takes notes. He's deeply involved in his studies, and has been ever since he got home from class an hour ago. It gives him something to do when he's not out running, or at track practice, although he's still not so sure about his major. But then, what guy his age is? It's not like he's had a long time to focus on what he wants to do as a career.

Comments

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"Sure. I know this is a lot to drop on someone all at once. I know this is...." There's that same underlying tension in her voice, a vulnerability, she's keeping it together by a string and heaven's grace. She's a talker. That's how she manages. "I don't feel well."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"Do you need anything? More tea, or something?"

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"Do you... do you have pills that help you go to sleep? I need... um. I, ah. I'm really scared to go to sleep, I really don't want to close my eyes and wake up there and figure maybe that's another hallucination and I'm still there on the table and... I know it's bad to take sleeping pills, but I think I need to. I don't want to go to sleep."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"Oh, uh... I'm not sure. Liam?"

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"Over the counter, illegal, or perscription?"

"The strongest you got." She shakes her head. "No, that's not right. That wouldn't be right. Over the counter. Tylenol PM, I guess, please."

"Two blue pills coming up!"

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"Do you want to sleep in a bed? We've got, uh, two."

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"Oh, gosh, I think I'd like the couch, but thank you." She's not going to kick her rescuers out of their beds.

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"Are you sure?"

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"Totally sure." Though it's not a very defensible spot. She's too worn out to care.

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

Cole doesn't feel right letting her sleep on the couch when she's had such a rough time, but on the other hand, he's not sure he wants to push her into something she's uncomfortable with either. He just met her like a half hour ago, for Pete's sake. So he just nods, accepting her answer, not sure what else to do.

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

Liam comes back with two blue pills and passes them to Victor, and she takes it with what remains of her tea, then she sets the cup down, and it's a testament to how weak she is right now that her wrist aches from holding it. "Thank you."

Liam says, "Not a problem."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"Do you want... a blanket, or something?"

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"I, um. As long as it wouldn't be any trouble."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"...it's a blanket. We have lots of them."

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

She blushes, nods a little, fingers stretching, then twitching. "Yes please, then."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

He goes and gets an extra blanket from the linen closet, bringing it back to her, but a little too shy to tuck her in or anything. "Uh, we should probably let you sleep," he says, looking a little pointedly at his brother.

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

Liam rolls his eyes and leaves the room. "Sleep tight, kiddo."

"Thank you." She takes the blanket gingerly, avoiding contact with his hands. "I'll see you in the morning?"

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

He thinks about saying something like Well, we do live here, but settles on just saying, "Sure."

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"G'night." She lies down, and after a moment everything she's been choking back since her escape comes pouring out in the form of water from her eyeballs and sobby sounds.

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, now that's awkward, and he's torn between shyness and wanting to just let her know she's not alone in the universe.

"It's okay, you're safe now."

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"I'm sorry," she says, voice reedy and high and full of going-to-cry-moreness. "I'm sorry for crying, I-I'm sorry."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"Don't be sorry."

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"I've made such a b-bad first impression."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"Don't worry about it." He reaches over to pat her shoulder, a little awkwardly.

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

She's prepared for it so she doesn't flinch, just touches his fingers back gently, and covers her face with her other hand because she's crying and she's an ugly crier.