writers_muses prompt set 113.3 ["beautiful disaster" - jon mclaughlin]

[its_notluck]

Claire shut her laptop with a frustrated sigh, trying her best not to slam the screen down too hard as she didn’t want to damage it.  Of course that didn’t really help the urge to throw it against the wall but then Hiro would want to know what was wrong with her and she was trying her best to put forth that everything was okay.

Comments

[powered_otaku]

Hiro appears as she's finishing up. "Claire? What happened?"

[its_notluck]

Claire looks up, blinking a bit before turning to put everything away. "I broke a glass."

[powered_otaku]

She seems...off. "Are you ok?" His voice is soft, coaxing.

[its_notluck]

She can hear his coaxing tone and she sighs softly. "Just...stressed." She tosses the towel into the garbage, nibbling on her bottom lip.

[powered_otaku]

He holds his arms out for her. "I can understand that. Your family is having problems and you feel helpless."

[its_notluck]

Claire looks over at him before sighing softly as she moves into his arms. "I don't know how to fix it." She leans her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. This was one of the things she loved most about Hiro: he knew her. "Everyone is hurting so bad."

[powered_otaku]

He picks her up and goes over to the couch where they can cuddle better. "Unfortunately, I think these are problems we cannot control. Until someone tells us more, there really is nothing we can do - just support them and let them know we are willing to listen." He sighs quietly. "We are all people who learned early to stand on our own two feet and feel like we have to deal with everything on our own. You and Peter are the exceptions, you know. The two of you are far more out-going than the rest of us."

[its_notluck]

"You mean dependent, don't you?" She sighs, looking at him with a little frown.

[powered_otaku]

He shakes his head. "No, you are not dependent. You just understand that people need to unburden more than we do. You are both emotionally healthier than the rest of us. I see how hard it is sometimes for both of you to deal with the silence we wrap around ourselves. But it is hard for me to say anything when I really should. I know the others find it hard, too."

[its_notluck]

She blinks softly. "You think we're...I'm emotionally healthy?" She seems somewhat confused. "I don't feel like it at times." She looks down, looking at her hand which was healed. "A lot of times I find myself wishing I was calmer."

[powered_otaku]

"Sometimes the calm is deceiving. It is not that we are truly calm, but sometimes too paralyzed to do anything other than just either stand aloof or pretend we are in control. You are more emotionally healthy. You release things. Let them go. Calm has its place when you can truly be calm." He looks at her hand, then takes it in his and rubs it gently.

[its_notluck]

Leaning over, she touches her forehead to his while closing her eyes. "How do you do that?" She mutters softly.

[powered_otaku]

"Do what?" He is now rubbing small circles on her back. He hates being helpless himself and he can understand her frustration, especially since it isn't anything she can really control. Family problems are always the worst.

[its_notluck]

"Get me." She explains simply with a little shrug. "You just know and you know what to say. I don't know if anyone does it as well as you." Which was fitting considering he was her husband.

[powered_otaku]

"I understand how it feels to be completely helpless. To feel like you should be doing something yet you cannot." His fingers begin to massage her shoulders. "Though emotion-wise we are sometimes the complete opposites, I think it helps us more. You are the one who shows me how to let go."

[its_notluck]

"And you're the one who shows me how to reign it in a bit?" She smiled at him faintly, leaning into him as it felt good while he massaged her shoulders.