starchilde_lost | (no subject)

Rachel just didn't want to think about Halloween. Ever. Again. Just the image of all those bodies, all her friends, her family, in a pile in the jungle gave her chills. She'd seen massacres before and had never wanted to again and yet there she was, smelling the blood soaking into the ground, hearing the buzz of flies drawn by the blood. The rest of it, too, was something she never wanted to see, but the island had different ideas and now that was an image that was actually keeping her up at night.

She should be sleeping, but her body ached from the fight with Logan and she was still far too wired after having to babysit him and watch Charles get carted off to the clinic. She was actually a little surprised Logan hadn't broken free at some point and gutted her, he'd certainly tried, and while the adrenalin had long ago left her, she was stuck staring at the ceiling after she got home. For hours. Punctuated only by brief sleeping interludes that ended with her jerking awake, trying not to scream. Somewhere around dawn she managed to drift off for good, tossing and turning, but finally getting some shut-eye.

Which had been her mistake. She should have just stayed up.

They'd both been worried about Halloween, but Rachel and Aidan both knew they'd be more useful split up for the day. Rachel could check on her friends, fight if needed, Aidan could pitch in at the Clinic. They'd agreed on a place and a time to meet the next day so that they'd know the other was okay. At least that had been the plan. A plan that was completely screwed now that Rachel had pretty much slept through the meeting. Running out of her door, she knew that even if she ran the whole way flat-out, she was going to be hopelessly late.

She had to hope Aidan would stick around and not panic. Seriously, she was going to hunt Stark down and make him build a damn phone system for the island if it was the last thing she did.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

likesthestooges

"I was really freaking out when you didn't show up," he said, leaning over to kiss the top of her head. He didn't want to her to feel guilty, but he wanted to express just how much he cared about her.

"Hazard of losing everyone I guess, part of you is just waiting around for it to happen again. I... don't want to lose you."

From:

starchilde_lost

Rachel paused, looking at Aidan for a moment. She knew, exactly what that felt like. Setting her utensils aside, she scooted over and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a good, hard kiss.

"Didn't lose me. I had to beat up a friend of mine, but he was okay with it after."

From:

likesthestooges

Aidan returned the kiss just as hard, enjoying the reminder that she was here and not going anywhere for the moment. She seemed to know just what he needed.

"Glad he wasn't too upset," he said, brushing her hair out of her face. "And that you could take him."

From:

starchilde_lost

"Well, we did have to shoot him in the head. Or, I did, since I was the one that was armed." She rested her head on his shoulder and tried to repress the shudder. "He'd already clawed his way through someone, was completely berserk, and I shot him." Her voice got a little quieter. It wasn't the first time she'd shot anyone, or had to fight a friend, far from it, but this time it just felt... different. Wrong. Not that shooting people left and right was a thing she would ever get used to doing, or ever think was the right thing to do but still... she'd just shot Logan in head.

Maybe that was payback for the time he stabbed her through the chest.

From:

likesthestooges

"Wait, what?"

Aidan wasn't sure if he heard Rachel right. It sounded like she said that she shot her friend. He didn't exactly remember any of her friends coming into the clinic with a gunshot wound, but he could have missed whoever it was. They were busy so it was possible.

From:

starchilde_lost

"His skeleton is made of metal. An unbreakable metal. Shooting him in the head is more like sticking his head in a bell and hitting it with a mallet. Rattles everything around, doesn't break it." She rubbed her hand over her eyes, she probably should have thought all that through before she said it, but she was too tired to censor herself anymore. And she hated thinking about the day before. About the pallid look on Charles' face as he collapsed. About Laura having to put her claws through his leg. About how it felt to pull the trigger on a friend.

From:

likesthestooges

"You have very strange friends," was all Aidan could think to say to that. He was glad that it wasn't anything more serious than that. He could understand having to inflict a normally mortal wound on a friend.

That was enough of that kind of talk though. They'd gotten through it, there were others to check on, but there wasn't any use sitting around talking about how horrible it had been.

"Swimming. I really want to go swimming later."

From:

starchilde_lost

He had no idea. She couldn't wait to spring the family tree on him. ALL of it. Alternate time lines, time travel, clones, if that didn't send him screaming, nothing would.

Going back to her lunch, her brow wrinkled. "Swimming? You want to go swimming?" She took a bite or two while she waited for him to give her an answer. The last thing she wanted today was activity.

From:

likesthestooges

"More like... I want to just float in the water and not think."

Not thinking would be good. It wasn't something he could manage often, centuries full of worries and thoughts stuck in his head, but he felt physically and mentally exhausted enough that he could maybe give it a try.

From:

starchilde_lost

She remembered to swallow so she didn't talk with a mouthful of food. "Mmmmm, that might be nice. I might just find a spot in the sun and soak it up." Yeah, that could be really nice. Lay out, close her eyes and just... drift.

From:

likesthestooges

"I think a massage also might be in your future," he said with a grin and leaned close. He knew she was trying to eat but he didn't want to stop being close to her. It felt too much like her being alright was too good to be true.

From:

starchilde_lost

"A massage, huh?" She pushed the plate forward. She'd eaten enough, she didn't want to overdo it while she was still this tired. Besides, it was much nicer to snuggle up with Aidan at this point. Not that she'd admit that. Well, she might, but she might not. It was a toss-up that she didn't want to think about when she was addled like this.

"A regular massage, or one of those massages you use as an excuse to get me out of my clothes and onto a bed?"

From:

likesthestooges

Aidan sighed happily as she leaned into him, glad for the closeness. Leaning in he took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of her along with the feel. She was here and real and with him.

"Anything you want. Whatever you want you can have it."

From:

starchilde_lost

"Aidan McCollin, don't you know those are words you never say to your girlfriend?" She poked him in the side, teasing, but it was nice to hear. It was nice to be cared for in just about any meaning of the term. Comfort wasn't something she found often or even took when it was offered, but with Aidan, yeah, she could let herself crumble a little - or a lot.

From:

likesthestooges

"Rachel Grey, don't you know it's acceptable to say when she deserves it?" he asked, giving her a crooked grin as he squirmed away from her for a moment. He was glad to see her mood improving. He didn't expect it to suddenly be sunshine and rainbows, but having her tease him was an improvement.

From:

starchilde_lost

Stifling a yawn, Rachel didn't let Aidan squirm too far away. Not when he was warm and soft and cuddly and... "We should probably get moving if we're going to check on everyone before I pass out again." Because she could. She'd eaten, she knew Aidan was okay, not one had come looking for her to report any deaths, and the booth was starting to feel an awful lot like a really hard bed.

From:

likesthestooges

"You're right. Let's go check on our friends and then get some rest," he said, reluctantly pulling away from her and out of the booth. He was exhausted too, but it was easier to ignore that exhaustion when he was being strong for someone else.

From:

starchilde_lost

With a somewhat exaggerated groan, Rachel followed, sliding her arm around his waist as soon as she was standing. A little clingy? Yeah, but she wasn't going to stop any time soon. Not after the day before and probably not for awhile.

"We'll do a circle, then out to my place, yeah?"

From:

likesthestooges

"It's a plan," he said with a nod, putting an arm around her shoulder. He didn't mind the clingy at all and wanted her to know that. It was actually comforting.