IC contact for wethelost

[devoutish]

Solomons & Melborn
1108 Sweet Cream Street

[Feel free to use this space for letter/package deliveries as well as visits/knocks on the front door!]

Comments

[bywolves]

[ Like always, he's cold after he revives.

They go home, after they take down the worm. Royce is completely silent - he'd helped fight, but he hasn't spoken since before he died. It's not the dying that gets him, because he's used to that (it's a little bit how violent it was). No, it was where he went, for a split second. The Nightmare, he thinks. He was alone. And it was - it was.

When they get back to the house, Royce goes to the bedroom, knowing Alfie will follow. Bear follows as well, and Royce doesn't say a word when the big dog jumps up after him onto the bed with a quiet whine. And maybe to Alfie's surprise, Royce actually wraps his arms around Bear's neck, shivering. It's okay. He's alive. It's fine. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie would have carried Royce the whole way - had been planning on it, actually, but then Royce had started walking on his own and he wasn't going to tell him not to. So he just follows, sticking close, wrapping an arm around the other man's shoulder if he'll let him.]

Once they're back and in their bedroom, he drapes the warmest blanket they have around Royce, tucking it around his shoulders.]

Here you go.

[bywolves]

[ Royce doesn't answer, resting his head against the scruff of Bear's neck. He hunches into the blanket, staring down at the ground, and then reaches a hand out to Alfie and tries to get him to get onto the bed. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie obliges without hesitation, sitting close and putting that arm around him again, burritoing him in the blankets.]

Royce.

[It's quiet, a near-whisper.]

[bywolves]

[ He drags in a slow, steadying breath, and Bear rumbles low, snuffling at Royce's face. Royce shifts away from Bear to curl into Alfie's side, burrowing, hiding his face in the crook of Alfie's neck. Bear flops out in Royce's lap, and partially in Alfie's. ]

I'm here. [ Royce says, in that same near-whisper. ]

[devoutish]

Yeah.

[His voice cracks, and he opens up one side of the blanket to bring himself into it, cocooning them both.]

What do you remember--?

[bywolves]

All of it. [ Royce says, shivery. He's shaking, and he's not sure if it's because he's cold or frightened. ] All of it, backwards and forwards.

[devoutish]

Me, too.

[He nudges Royce sideways, trying to lie him down on the bed.]

[bywolves]

[ He goes, curling up. Bear huffs and settles behind Royce, giving him something to lean against. It's reassuring to have something big and warm at his back, protective. The second Alfie's down too, Royce reaches for him, clingy. He can't shake the lonely feeling. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie reaches down to pull off Royce's boots, throwing them both in the corner.]

What else? What else do you need?

[He takes both of Royce's hands in his, rubbing circles over his knuckles.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce's breath trembles. He's not crying, but he's upset, and it's clear. ]

Cold. [ Royce mutters. ] Just stay here. Please. It was - I was alone.

[devoutish]

[He eases himself down and bear-hugs him, jostling Bear just a little as he wraps both arms around Royce. The dog doesn't seem to mind.]

You weren't alone, mate.

[bywolves]

Yeah, I was. [ He shudders. ] I was - it was dark, and cold. There was nothing. Nobody.

[devoutish]

Where? Where were you?

[bywolves]

Down. [ His voice cracks a bit. ] I think they called it the Nightmare.

[devoutish]

[Oh, fuck that. Alfie kisses his cheek.]

You're here with me now, mate. And I'm not going anywhere, I swear it to you.

[bywolves]

Yeah. I know. [ He's pretty sure he's safe here, and - well, Zephyr is in this realm, so he feels better anyway. Still. He tucks his head under Alfie's chin. All he wants is the loneliness to go away. It was invasive. ]

[devoutish]

Yeah.

[Alfie shudders, trying to quell it by pressing closer to Royce. This time, he's the one who seeks out the ring on its twine around Royce's neck, rubbing it between his fingers when he finds it.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce brings his hand up to hold onto Alfie's, when he rubs at the ring. He makes sure Alfie's got hold of it before he does, wanting the connection, and he sighs out soft at the feeling of warmth that soaks into him, finally starting to benefit from everything piled on him. ]

You were right. [ Royce whispers, shoulders up around his ears. ]

[devoutish]

[He presses his lips down against Royce's shoulder.]

About what?

[bywolves]

Not staying in the mines. We shouldn't have.

[devoutish]

You were right, too.

[General rumbles had been pretty common down there, and if they ran from them every time they'd never get anything done.]

[bywolves]

[ He doesn't answer. He's too busy trying to practically climb into Alfie's chest. The closer he is the less alone he feels. And he knows he should talk, he should get it out of his system, but the words aren't enough. He doesn't know how to describe how he feels. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie murmurs to him, quiet unintelligible words that even he, the speaker, would be hard-pressed to translate. They're just noises, really - a way to let Royce know that he's here, he's conscious, he's paying attention. He pulls the blankets closer.]

Do you wanna be in the treehouse instead?

[The treehouse that isn't partway underground.]

[bywolves]

[ He shakes his head. ]

Too open. [ Right now, the lack of space is what he needs. He feels much more at ease being covered, right now, with Bear at his back and Alfie at his front. It was terrifying, being in that place, and he knows he would've lost his mind if he'd been forced to stay down there. He noses into those unintelligible words, letting them wash over him. ]

I owe Strange. [ Royce mumbles. ]