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!]

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[bywolves]

But it didn't matter. [ He murmurs. ] Arcadius hired him to do it. He took the job. He knew what the consequences would be.

You know - he said he wanted to work with me again someday. But he didn't know who I was, when he said it. Not anymore.

[devoutish]

He cared about you only as far as you could be useful to him. You did the right thing, moving on from him.

[bywolves]

Yeah. I know. [ Royce turns his face to hide it against Alfie's neck. ] Even in the end he just wanted to save his own skin.

[ But even so. Even so, he misses what he had. ]

[devoutish]

And I'm sorry for that, too.

[Alfie murmurs into Royce's hair.]

[bywolves]

I think I am, too.

[devoutish]

You deserve better. You deserve Hadrian.

[bywolves]

I don't think he deserved me. [ Royce says, with a hint of lightness to it. It's just a little self-deprecation. ]

[devoutish]

Well, you know what I think of that.

[bywolves]

I do. [ Another long pause. ] You're the first person I've ever shown that to.

[devoutish]

I know. I'm glad you were able to come out of it quickly.

[He'd been pretty worried, at first.]

[bywolves]

Having you here helped even more than I thought it would. And - you pulled me off the bridge. I wasn't expecting it to be you.

[devoutish]

I would never have let you fall, Royce.

[bywolves]

I know you wouldn't have. [ He shifts, pressing their foreheads against each other again. ] I mean it was Hadrian, before. Seeing you made me remember it was a memory.

[devoutish]

Come lie down.

[Alfie murmurs, and if Royce lets him, he'll tug him down onto the mattress.]

Writing to Gwen will help as well, yeah?

[bywolves]

[ He sinks down with Alfie, limbs loose and limp. ]

Yeah. I wish I could see her. [ He swallows hard, trying not to picture the blood on the snow. ] I haven't - I haven't missed her this badly in a while.

[devoutish]

I wish I could send you to her.

[He says, pulling the blanket up to their chins.]

[bywolves]

I want to bring her to us. [ He says, voice faltering slightly. He burrows again, hiding his face. ]

[devoutish]

[If only that could happen now. Alfie just pulls him close, rubbing circles on his back.]

[bywolves]

[ It relaxes him, though. It relaxes him a lot, and slowly, he sinks into Alfie's hold and into the inflatable mattress. ]

I want to sleep here, I think.

[devoutish]

I thought as much. Are you tired?

[bywolves]

Yeah. [ He says, with a sigh. ] Mostly I don't want to sail.

[devoutish]

Sleep, then. Take all the time you need.

[bywolves]

[ He reaches up to tangle his hand into Alfie's shirt, holding onto him. He hums his acknowledgement, and closes his eyes. And slowly, he'll sink into rest - maybe not fully asleep, but drifting to the sound of the waves. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie, who's keyed-up from the memory experience as well as just not very tired in general, stays alert. He'll stay on the mattress with Royce, though, cradling him close and staring up at the darkening sky. It's just as well that he's not sleepy, he thinks, because he won't be at all surprised if Royce has nightmares.]

[bywolves]

[ He doesn't sleep well, that's for sure. Eventually he sinks down into actual sleep, but it's restless, and he shifts a lot in his sleep. If Alfie can see his face at any point, his expression is drawn and tense, furrowed. ]