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

[devoutish]

[Alfie doesn't have time to protest, but that's okay - he wouldn't have. It's Royce's memory, Royce's nightmare, and Alfie won't ask him to stay in it for a second longer than he's comfortable with. He covers Royce's hand with his, squeezes - and then they're back in bed in the treehouse, curled into each other.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce gasps himself awake, trying to sit up, pushing any grasping hands away from him just for a moment. He hunches over, dragging in slow, steadying breaths, running his fingers through his own hair. Like he's reassuring himself it's there. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie doesn't say anything. He just runs his fingers along Royce's back, lightly but still noticeable, up and down.]

[bywolves]

I'm fine. [ Royce says finally, taking a deep breath. ] Fine.

[devoutish]

[He keeps stroking, sitting up a little.]

You don't have to be, mate.

Thank you.

[bywolves]

I know. But I am. Fine. [ Mostly. Manzant was a long time ago. ]

... You're welcome. I guess.

[devoutish]

You wanted me to see. To know.

[bywolves]

Yeah. I do.

I want you to see how it made me.

[devoutish]

Yeah. Yeah, it did make you, a bit.

[Alfie's brow furrows.]

But other things have made you, as well.

[bywolves]

You've seen nearly everything that's made me, Alfie.

[devoutish]

[He touches Royce's cheek, trying to turn his face.]

So I know what I'm talking about, then, don't I?

[bywolves]

Yeah. You do. [ Royce turns his face in the direction Alfie wants, with a sigh. He's pale, sort of shaken. Nauseated, maybe. ]

I wanted it to stop being so present in my head.

[devoutish]

How are you gonna do that?

[bywolves]

Showing you. Living it again. Remembering so I can lock it back up properly.

[devoutish]

Give it to me.

[He locks eyes with Royce.]

Let me keep it, in my head. It'll be safe there, and you can leave it behind.

[bywolves]

[ He shakes his head. ]

I need to keep it. It's important. But -- [ Royce glances up at Alfie. ] I'd be willing to let you help me carry it.

[devoutish]

Sharing the load. All right.

[He gives Royce's shoulder a squeeze.]

I can do that, mate.

[bywolves]

Yeah. [ Deep breath. He smiles a little, weakly. God, he feels - weird. He feels different. Being so present in those dreams, being in that Manzant mindset, and then coming back to here... he's grown. He knows. ]

Thank you.

[devoutish]

You knew me even without knowing me.

[Another squeeze.]

Suppose I should be flattered.

[bywolves]

Probably. [ Royce says, amused. ] Had you been anybody else I would've killed you for getting that close. And for using my real name.

[devoutish]

Mm. I thought about using Duster.

[bywolves]

Either way I think I would've been on guard. Duster was the reason I was put in there.

[devoutish]

I weighed it, in my head - the chance you'd think knowing your real name would make you think I was sent to kill you specifically, the chance you'd think using your code name would make you think I was just another person down there.

[Alfie scrubs at his face with the hand that isn't holding Royce's shoulder.]

Nim, though - I liked him.

[bywolves]

He saved me.

[ That's genuine, soft. ]

In a lot of ways, he saved me. I was going to go back to rescue him from Manzant.

[devoutish]

Do you know what happened to him?

[He's heard about Merrick, and he's heard about Hadrian - but he's heard next to nothing about Nim.]