(Untitled)

[backnthesaddle]

“Uh... hi.”

Somehow, Cole managed to find his way into a part of the Nexus with nary a couch in sight, so he drags over a Convenient Nexus Stool instead. He’s young, barely out of his teens, and nervous, with hair that’s bordering on shaggy. He looks tired, and a little dazed, with the sense that though things are better now, not that long ago

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[random_xtras]

"Slip her some hard stuff," says the black Camaro that's sitting by the sign.

[backnthesaddle]

".....what."

Whether this is a response to the Camaro's words or the fact that it's a Camaro talking to him is a mystery left for the ages.

[random_xtras]

A cute petite woman with spiky black hair and tragic blue eyes appears sitting on the car's hood. "Two tablespoons of rum in a glass of orange juice. It seems to make humans talk. At least it sure did last night."

[backnthesaddle]

"Wh - no. No, that's completely out of the question. My girlfriend doesn't drink." He sounds terse, and like he's not sure if this is a joke he doesn't get.

[random_xtras]

The girl on the hood frowns a bit with concern. "Medical or religious reasons?"

[backnthesaddle]

"I don't know about religious, but morally, she's so opposed. And I don't like the idea of, of trying to get my girlfriend drunk without her knowing. Maybe that works on some people, but she would just freak out."

[random_xtras]

The girl winces and hugs her knees. "Then I have nothing. Sorry."

[backnthesaddle]

He takes a breath. "Thanks anyway, I guess."

[random_xtras]

"Chances are if she doesn't want to talk then you're just going to have to live with it." It kinda sounds like she knows what she's talking about. "Hugs are the only other thing I can think of that helps sometimes."

[backnthesaddle]

"I know, and it's completely up to her, and I don't want to force her to do something she doesn't want to do. But I think she's being unhealthy about it. Bottling it up." He shifts, uncomfortable. "In that case, she does need to talk, eventually."

[random_xtras]

"Sometimes you need to use a little force. If my friends hadn't forced me I'd probably still be getting drunk off my aft and kissing every guy that didn't run fast enough instead of just dealing with the slag I had going."

[backnthesaddle]

"She's already been through so much, though." He keeps fiddling with his ring. "What if I... I don't know. Do something wrong. End up making it worse. I feel like if I do something, or don't do something, it'll be the wrong decision."

[random_xtras]

"Buddy," she says softly. "I watched all my friends die. I watched a whole race of people die because I couldn't protect them. And I watched my CO get cut down by a firing squad after he traded himself for me. The trying to help felt like it was making things worse, but it didn't."

[backnthesaddle]

He's quiet for a long while. "I'm sorry," he says, voice soft. "How... are you even talking to me?" Cole just lost one person - granted, the most important person in his life, hence the ring - and he already feels like curling up in bed for the rest of his life.

[random_xtras]

She tilts her head, expression showing deep thought, then blinks those big blue eyes and looks at him again. "Grace of God."

It's the only thing she can think of that will fit as an answer to his question.

[backnthesaddle]

That gets a smile. A small one, but it's there. "Isn't it always?"

"I... know it's out of my hands, and it's always been out of my hands. And I'm grateful every day that He brought her back to me, I really am. I've just never felt so helpless in my life."