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]

Give it time, then, eh? That's very reasonable.

[bywolves]

Yeah. [ He reaches for Alfie's hand. ] That's all I can do these days.

[devoutish]

No, it's not.

[Alfie squeezes his hand, then kisses his knuckles.]

You do very well, most days. You do more than just hang on.

[bywolves]

[ He watches from under his hood. ]

Most of my problems are just things I have to wait on, right now. That's all.

[devoutish]

[Alfie hangs on his next words, thinking something hard but not letting it come out.]

[bywolves]

[ A beat, and then, softer: ] You can say what you want to. My day won't get any worse.

[devoutish]

No, it's only--

[He stops.]

[bywolves]

Alfie. [ He sounds a little worried, but. ]

[devoutish]

It's nothing awful, Royce. Just-- my back.

Did you wish my back fixed?

[bywolves]

[ Silence. Fuck. He can't - lie, he can't lie, but. If he says yes...

Just silence. ]

[devoutish]

Royce?

[bywolves]

Yes. [ He holds on very tightly to Alfie's hand, sinking further into his hood. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie nods, slowly.]

Yeah.

[bywolves]

[ More silence. He doesn't want to say anything else until he knows how angry Alfie is. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie brings a hand up, brushing his thumb under Royce's eye, checking for tears.]

[bywolves]

[ He's not actively crying now, but his cheeks are still damp. The feeling of Alfie's hand actually makes him flinch just the slightest bit, with how on edge he is, but he doesn't pull away. ]

[devoutish]

I'm not angry.

[He pulls his hand back.]

Don't know why I'm not, but I'm not. Not a bit. I wish you hadn't lied about it, that's all.

[bywolves]

I - didn't... [ He stops, and swallows hard. ] It wasn't an intentional lie. I was going to tell you eventually.

I couldn't work up the nerve. I didn't want you to be angry for trying to do something I meant to help.

[devoutish]

"Will your back be all right sitting on the ground?"

[Alfie quotes back at him. He's just saying, buddy.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce sinks down further into the couch. ]

That's not a lie.

[devoutish]

It is, a bit, if you already knew the answer.

[Alfie sinks down with him, nestling his head into the crook of Royce's neck.]

[bywolves]

I didn't know the answer. It isn't a lie to ask you how you're doing or if your back will hurt for some other reason than your sciatica, because of the ground.

[devoutish]

Okay.

[bywolves]

[ That, out of everything, shuts Royce up. He quiets, still tense. ]

[devoutish]

I mean it.

[He squeezes Royce's hand again.]

I believe you.