For Eden

[agent_dean]

The Dawn Treader had returned from the second island several days ago and while everyone was safe and accounted for (ITF and squints alike), Brendan had not seen or heard from Eden since then. He wasn't worried, exactly, as he would have heard if Eden had been injured, but he was ... concerned. Brendan would have to see for himself that Eden was

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[gotacigarette]

Since coming back from the island, Eden's been working herself into the ground, running and swimming and doing push-ups until her muscles screamed, all of it trying to push away the fact that the island had reminded her of Scotland, and how close she'd been.

She's wading out of the sea when she sees Brendan heading towards her hut. Her swimsuit leaves a lot to be desired, but at least it's not a bikini.

"Nobody home," she calls, raising her hand.

[agent_dean]

Brendan turned to watch Eden coming out of the water - alive, and healthy, and ... wet, and uh, alive and wet and ... Brendan gave his head a bit of a shake and raised a hand in return, waving slightly.

"Nice piece of real estate you have," Brendan said cheerfully. Take it back, take it back! "Er, I mean, nice hut!"

[gotacigarette]

Eden's seen that look before, and she rolls her eyes at him and stands with her hands on her hips and sand clinging to her bare feet.

"Did you come all the way out here just to stare at my real estate, Dean?"

[agent_dean]

"No!" Brendan said quickly, his eyes wide. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I haven't heard from you since you got back from the other island. I was worried."

[gotacigarette]

"You don't have to worry about me, Brendan."

She walks past him, into the hut, not waiting to see if he follows. It's been habited some time before, and there was already furniture in it when she moved in; a wide bed, a chest, some shelves. She doesn't own anything; some folded clothes, a pair of boots, a pair of sneakers. The pipe and tobacco that Brendan gave her are sitting on the shelf immediately above her bed.

She picks up a towel and rubs her hair, though the trickle of cool water down her back is undeniably pleasant.

"You can come in if you want, Dean."

[agent_dean]

"I really can't help it," Brendan said. He was worrier by nature, really. The fact that he cared about Eden just increased the worry.

After a pause, he tentatively stepped into the hut. "I brought you some mango wine, and some more of the tobacco. Not the most sophisticated of welcome home gifts, I know, but I thought ... well, I thought you might want more than just fruit juice.

He put both items down on a nearby table. "Did everything go alright over there?"

[gotacigarette]

"It's almost endearing."

Briefly, Eden considers telling Brendan that she hasn't drunk alcohol since she was a teenager, but he means so well, and she's never actually be a cruel woman. Hard, maybe...Unforgiving, but never cruel.

"Welcome home? I was gone for a day, Dean," she says, pulling a t-shirt on over her wet swimsuit, for the moment. "I took video for you."

[agent_dean]

Brendan flushed a bit and gestured with his hand. "Oh, I know, but - well, I'm not so sure how a 'hey, how'd the island of dead bodies and general creepiness' gift sounds."

[gotacigarette]

"It sounds like you." Eden arches an eyebrow. She hasn't forgotten that he hugged her before she left. She still isn't sure how she feels about that.

"It was...odd. Scientist I was with described it as a clusterfuck of weird. I'm inclined to agree."

[agent_dean]

"And that sounds like the island. Although I guess now we have two islands on our hands. Don't know how good an idea it would be to inhabit the other though." Brendan's expression was thoughtful. Could the population of Tabula Rasa ever get so big that one day they'd have no choice? He supposed it was possible.

He smiled. "And yeah, video? Thanks."

[gotacigarette]

Eden gets up on the bed, rooting through the contents of the shelf until she comes up with a little gold disc that she shows to Brendan between forefinger and thumb.

"It was weird," she admits. "Like...people just...upped and left their lives behind. Reminded me of what was over the wall."

[agent_dean]

Brendan's eyes moved from the disc to Eden's face. "That must have been tough," he said, suddenly realizing why Eden might have been a bit reclusive. "And yeah, it was weird. I ... kinda left me at a loss, really, of what to think."

[gotacigarette]

Tough wasn't the word for it. Eden rolls one shoulder in a shrug. The cotton of her shirt is sticking unpleasantly against her damp skin. It had been nice to be in the water.

"It was difficult, yes." Her eyes flick to the bottle on the table, and it's as though she makes a concious decision to change her expression.

"Trying to get a girl drunk, Agent Dean?"

[agent_dean]

Brendan leaned against a nearby dresser. Usually, he'd be rather flustered by the comment, but he recognized the attempt to deflect for what it was.

"You know, if you ever want to talk about any of that, you can," Brendan offered quietly. "I know it's not easy because there's no one really here who's from where you are and seen it with you, but - I'll always listen."

[gotacigarette]

For a moment, Eden has an urge to punch Brendan so strong that she has to hold onto the edge of the shelf.

"Don't say that," she says, stepping closer. "Don't be that person who says it's okay to be weak, Eden. It's okay to fall apart. It isn't okay, Brendan. It's never bloody okay. None of it is."

[agent_dean]

Brendan's eyes widened slightly, eyebrows lifting, but he didn't back away. "Who said anything about weakness?" He pursed his lips a bit. "What else isn't okay?"