Allison and Manuel leave. [Closed, log]
[[OOC: Manuel and Allison have left the complex. Upon arrival in Spain, Allison emailed Pyro and Kurt to let them know she was safe. Otherwise, they have contacted no one.]]
Allison:
Back from the mission, and Allison was bruised to hell, and exhausted. Prying herself out of the jeep with a hiss, she batted off the MP's that approached to take her to the medlabs. "Fuck off, I'm fine," she growled, twisting away from them and heading toward her room.
She'd had to be carried back to the pickup. They'd redressed her, and when she'd come to in the jeep, she'd pulled her boots back on. Oddly, Allison was more embarrassed that she'd had to be carried out than that she'd been naked. She kicked open her door, flopped into her bed, and promptly passed out.
It was easier than thinking about the mission, or about how she was supposed to be hating Manuel instead of worrying about him.
Manuel:
He'd been sitting in the cafeteria when he got the news that they'd gotten back from the mission. His foot was tapping, his knee bouncing in a futile attempt to work out all of the anxiety and aggression that had been building since they'd gotten here.
God, this place was hell. He thought about everything that had happened between them since getting here and he wanted to scream. As soon as he heard that they were back, though, he waited to hear what had happened.
Magma was safe, but she'd refused medical treatment. That immediately struck his worry so he headed to her room, knocking on the door before opening it and crossing to her bed.
"Allison?" he breathed, reaching out to push some hair from her face in concern. She might hate him, but he'd hate himself more if she was really hurt and he'd let her go without treatment.
Allison:
Allison generally slept like the dead, and now was no exception. She was out cold, the massive amount of energy she'd tapped into for the mission having drained her to a point she couldn't remember having been drained before. She still had her boots and coat on, and she hadn't bothered getting under the covers.
The touch to her face caused her to stir, and she heard Manuel's voice. In that sleepy moment, her mind didn't connect that she was supposed to hate him now, that he'd done something so terrible to her. All she felt was her love for him, and her face turned into his hand, her own hand coming up to cover his. "Hi, mio," she mumbled drowsily, smiling.
She blinked her eyes open and looked at him, seeing that hollow look in his eyes. Her brow knit, concerned, then everything crashed back in on her. There was a reason he had that look in his eyes. It was the same look she had, that soul-destroying ache. Her face fell and she pushed his hand away, pushing back from him. She slid up the bed until her back met the wall, the bruises around her torso making her wince slightly.
"What?"
Manuel:
The moment that she greeted him with his old pet name and a smile, his heart squeezed. He felt his throat grow tight and his brow furrowed, his hand lingering for a moment. She realized what was going on, though, and he drew his hand back as she knocked it away.
"I wanted to check on you. They said that you were hurt, but refused to be seen." he murmured, taking a step back at her reaction. Of course she would feel like that. He'd done things to her, unspeakable things.
"Are you alright?" he asked, suddenly feeling as though he had no right to be here or ask her that question, but dammit, she was still his wife.
Allison:
Her gut reaction to his question was to ask him, "What the fuck do you care?" but she knew far too well that he did care for her. Allison stared at him, then shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah, I'm fine. Dandy." Her voice was flat, monotone.
She wasn't fine. She was as far from fine as she could ever remember being. And she missed him to the point of aching pain. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes dropping from his face. It was too hard to look at him. Her gaze lit upon his hand, and her stomach gave a full flip. He was still wearing his wedding band.
Allison held her eyes there until they started to burn, then looked up at him. "Why are you here? You could've asked the other teammates what happened."
Manuel:
"You're not fine." he answered back, frowning as his eyes moved over her. She was still in her coat, her boots. She hadn't had the energy to take them off. He knew her too well. He swallowed, his face shadowed by that hollow look he got when things were so very not alright. He watched her, each breath pained, and his gaze dropped to his hand when hers did.
Manuel sighed. He wanted to sit down on the edge of her bed, look over her, categorize each bruise so that he could be assured that she was alright. She wouldn't let him, though, he knew it. He could feel her pain, her defensiveness, and his lips set into a line.
"I don't like them. I don't care about them." He had asked, though. It's how he'd known that she'd refused treatment. "I care about you and your well-being. I needed to see for myself if you were alright."
Pausing, he closed his eyes and let his chin fall as he took a step back. "I know I shouldn't have come here, but...I had to ask you something."
Lifting his gaze again, he caught her eyes. "Do you still want to leave?"
Allison:
She looked away as he confirmed what she already knew but didn't want to admit. He cared about her. Allison drew her knees up to her chest, wincing again at the bruises that covered her stung. She wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, with Manuel cradling her. But she ignored that desire. She wasn't allowed that anymore.
"I'm fine." Her voice had lost any real conviction. Allison wasn't fine; she was so far from fine it read all over her. But physically, she'd heal. She looked at him when he said he had something to ask her, ready for nothing and everything all at once.
Her eyes narrowed when he asked if she wanted to leave.
"Does it matter now?" She'd all but begged him to leave with her before her memories had been returned, when she easily could've forgotten what she already didn't know. Now?
Now there was too much water, and the bridge had washed out.
Manuel:
"You can't lie to me, Allison." Manuel murmured, prying into her emotional state as much as he ever had. He might not have had the right now, but he needed to know. Now he did. She was an open wound, bleeding pain.
"No you're not." he reiterated, shaking his head just once before he took a step towards the bed. He paused at the edge of it, dropping his eyes to hers. His own were haunted, tired.
"Yes. I spent the entire time you were gone thinking about how I'd messed up things. That I may never have gotten the chance to tell you that...no matter what I did, Dios." He ran his hand over his hair to rest it at the back of his neck. "It does matter now. This isn't where you want to be. Where I want to be."
"And I want to be with you." he exhaled, squeezing his eyes shut before his chin dropped again.
Allison:
Allison stared at her knees as he spoke, glancing at him occasionally. His words were true; she wanted to leave, and she wanted to be with him. But she couldn't let herself. Not now, not with everything that had happened. The last three months of her life were a total lie, and it was because of him.
She looked over at him, seeing his head drop. Without even thinking, she grabbed his arm and tugged him down to the bed, sliding across to butt herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Allison hated herself for it, reveling in the closeness, the smell of him, the way he simply knew her. Her hand rubbed slowly over his back, and she sighed heavily, shakily.
"I don't want to be here," she agreed. She might have agreed with the rest, too, but she couldn't bring herself to say that aloud. "But you're the one who said it; they won't let us leave." They were under contract. They had to stay.
Manuel:
He looked at her in surprise. It was the last thing he'd expected of her, to pull him close after what he'd done. He'd hoped for it, yes. Thought it possible, no. But then, he always did underestimate the power of emotions when they were truly felt.
He moved to the bed and slid his arms around her waist, holding her tightly for a moment before he realized that she might be hurt. His hand slid up, fingers tangling in her hair, and he leaned in. She smelled of fire and faint smoke, but she also smelled like she always had. His nose dragged along her cheek as he inhaled and he frowned.
Pride surged up within him, bitter and black. He'd been an idiot then. Of course they could leave. He'd force Stryker to call off their contracts if he had to. "We can leave. How will they stop us?" he asked, pulling back to meet her eyes. "They can't."
Allison:
She winced only slightly when he wrapped his arms around her, then tilted her head into his hand as he brought his fingers into her hair. It was all so easy to fall back into; they'd only been separated for a few days, and yet she ached with how badly she'd missed him. Allison pulled back and looked at him as he looked at her, her stomach hurting as she looked into his eyes.
Could she really just forget everything by her own choice, start over with him, knowing what he'd done? Did she love him that much?
He dismissed her objection, and she looked to his mouth, unable to meet his eyes anymore. "I don't know if I can, Manuel." Her brow knit, worry lining the space between them. It wasn't that she didn't want to; if she could honestly pretend nothing happened, and just be with Manuel, she wanted to. She stared at his mouth for a long moment, then leaned in hesitantly, biting her lip before satisfying that need inside of her by kissing him lightly.
"I want to, but I don't know that I can," she whispered against his lips, pulling back that little bit to look at him, conflict reading strongly through her eyes.
Manuel:
Manuel let his hand rest in hair for a long moment, curling his fingers around the strands of pale blond before he pulled back and looked at her. She missed him, he could feel it in his bones. He didn't have to delve into her emotions to tell. It was written in her eyes.
"Why?" he asked, his voice soft. He wasn't going to press her, as much as he just wanted to. As much as he wanted to manipulate her and make her decide to agree, he wasn't going to do that. he couldn't. As she leaned in, he held his breath and savored the light kiss.
He honestly hadn't expected to ever feel the touch of her lips again, not without coercion. He wouldn't do that to her.
"Tell me why. Please." he murmured, his eyes moving over her face, taking in every detail. The dark circles under her eyes, the exhaustion from her mission. From their fight. His hand moved up, cupping her cheek, and he dragged his thumb over her brow.
Allison:
She leaned into his touch, the roughness of his hand over her skin so easy and familiar. Her mind was so conflicted; memories of how perfect things had started to become between the two of them when neither could remember Brazil conflicting with reality, her want for him so strong yet so broken. She shook her head and took in a deep breath, frowning.
"I just... I want to forget all of this, pretend it never happened... But it did happen." Her face turned to brush her lips against his palm. "I don't know that I can separate what happened from everything else, even if I want it." She looked back at him, feeling her eyes and nose burning with tears she wasn't going to let out. Her body ached with exhaustion and injury, and she wanted nothing more than to curl into his arms and forget the world for awhile.
"But I want to. I still love you," she said in a voice that shook for all she was worth.
Manuel:
He watched her carefully, his blue eyes ticking over every line of her face. He was trying to gauge her, wishing that he was actually psychic. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, not exactly, but she hadn't pushed him away. Not yet.
"I know. And for that?" he let his other hand come up to cradle her cheek, his thumb stroking her skin as she turned her cheek. "For that I'm sorry. I was stupid. Selfish." he took a deep breath, his own eyes stinging as she spoke. She may have wanted to curl up in his arms, but he wanted to take her far away from here.
His chest clenched as she spoke and he sobbed out a soft breath, squeezing her against him. "I love you. Te amo." he breathed into her ear, a lone tear slipping from his eye. He didn't bother pushing it away. "Let's leave. Go to Spain. Get away from here."
Allison:
She knew his apology was honest, heartfelt, even without the link between them. He was sorry, but she didn't know that she could accept it, or believe it wouldn't happen again. She wanted to believe it, with every fiber of her being. It was just hard to wrap her head around it, with everything else that had gone on.
Allison buried her face into his neck, taking in the scent of him, feeling her body tremble a little at his words. He was saying everything she needed to hear, everything she wanted more than anything, but there was such a hurdle in her way. The idea of Spain drew her, someplace they'd had such an amazing time, such a connection... "Spain?" She pulled back and looked up at him again, seeing the streak from the tear that had broken down his cheek. Her hand came up to wipe it away, and she tilted her head down, letting her forehead rest against his.
"I want to... God do I want to." The silent 'but' was written between the words. Her resolve was breaking, but she still didn't know that she could still be with him; not with everything that was so destroyed between them. "I'm broken, Manuel. I'm broken, and I can't ask you to fix me." She pulled back and looked at him, her vision blurred. "I don't want to promise something I can't deliver on and break you, too."
It was the most honest thing she could say to him in that moment. She wanted to go with him, she wanted to push all of this crap away and just be with him, but she really didn't know what she could and couldn't do anymore.
Manuel:
He let his fingers slide into her hair, brushing against her neck, soothing. He felt her tremble and he looked at her as she pulled back, licking his lips and looking away as she brushed the tear from his cheek. "Mhm." He was having trouble speaking for fear that he would just break down, and he hated that above all other things. Emotions were weakness and God he knew it.
"But." he filled the word in for her and then winced, dipping his head down as she spoke. It was his fault. He'd been the one who had broken her. He could fix her, shine all of the shadows out of her heart, but that's not what she wanted or needed.
"I'm already broken, querida. It is not a matter of fixing you or me. It is a matter of fixing us. Perhaps the other will come with due time..." he murmured, kissing her temple softly. "I miss you."
Allison:
She pulled herself in closer to him when he said he was broken, when he said he missed her. They were both just so fucked up. All she really knew was that she still wanted him in her life. That she felt like half of her was missing. "I miss you too," she said in a whisper, squeezing him tighter and tighter, until her arms shook.
Allison pulled back and drew her arms from around him, keeping close but needing a moment. She needed to think about if it was all worth it. She knew she loved him, but she'd figured out before that loving him wasn't enough. They were married now, but that hardly negated everything that had gone on between them. When she just simply asked herself what she wanted, the answer was easy.
She looked up at him, seeing those blue eyes that shot strait through all the bullshit to pierce her heart. She reached up and into her shirt, pulling her dogtags off with a sharp downward yank, then she leaned in and kissed him hard, with an intense hunger that spoke to how badly she needed him.
Breaking away slightly, her lips still brushing his, Allison looked up at him again. "Open it again, please." She needed to feel him, know that they were in the same place. "Then we can go."
Manuel:
He sucked in a short breath when she admitted to missing him and his throat tightened to the point of pain. He didn't know why he'd thought that risking everything he'd had with her had been worth it. Certain that he'd been an idiot, he pressed his cheek to the side of her head, pulling his fingers gently from her hair.
When she pulled back again, his fingers lingered on her cheek for a moment and he locked eyes with her, his own searching and sad, though the tiniest spark of hope nearly glowed there in the blue. He rocked back a little when she kissed him, but he was quickly sliding his arms around her to hold her tightly as he returned the hard desperate kiss.
His eyes widened just a hair at her request, though he nodded and then squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his forehead to hers as he took a deep breath. Establishing an emotional connection was much easier when the two people involved were feeling very strongly about something, better when it was about one another.
That being said...
He fumbled with it for a moment, his control weaker now that he was an emotional mess, but soon the emotions between them were mixing together, the reforming of the bond making him heady. It was like regaining the use of a limb you hadn't realized you'd lost.
Allison:
She closed her eyes when he nodded, leaning in to rest against his forehead as he leaned into her. She waited with baited breath, letting out a relieved sigh when she felt his emotions pressing in on hers again. She kissed him desperately once more, her fingers sliding through his hair. It hurt to feel his hurt, feel his remorse, feel everything else he was feeling tangling with her own. But above the undercurrent of heartbreak, she could feel his love for her above it all.
"Let's go, mio," she said against his lips, bringing her hands to cup his cheeks as she looked up at him. She picked up her dogtags from her lap and hurled them into the garbage can by the door, the aluminum plinking when it hit the bottom. She couldn't stay there anymore, and more than anything, she wanted to be with Manuel.
"Does your family know we're coming?"
Manuel:
He felt her emotions settle into him again and he echoed her sigh. It was one thing to be able to access her emotions through her, but to feel them as she felt them...that was what he had missed. He returned her kiss, his hands sliding back around her, and he held her close. He regretted everything he'd done to her, but he never regretted her.
"Si." he breathed, reaching up to strip off his own dog tags. He snapped the chain and closed his hand around the rings, sliding them off and then tossing his own tags in the garbage can. He shook his head to her question and then took her hand, pressing the rings into them.
"No. I will call them on the way. They will not mind, I know they won't." And I'm going to kill my brother... He didn't say that, no, but there was a bit of ire before he clamped it down and then squeezed her hand again, pushing off of the bed to stand.
Allison:
She watched his hand move across his dogtags, then take her hand. She felt the rings in her palm, and Allison felt her heart beat out of step with it's normal pace. Her eyes didn't meet his as she slid the rings back onto her finger. Though they'd only been there a short period, she'd felt their absence.
Allison felt the surge of retribution, of anger, then looked at Manuel closely. It was gone as soon as it came, and she wasn't about to start another argument between the two of them. She'd ask him later, and she'd make sure the two of them agreed to full disclosure from here on out. Allison couldn't get the mental picture of Manuel fucking Jean out of her head, but she damned well wasn't going to let it happen again.
He was hers. He was always hers.
She stood up with him, hugging him for a quick second before pulling her bag out from under the bed. Allison tossed all of her clothing into it, along with the few personal items she had. She was packed in less than ten minutes, a bonus to being forced to live such a barren existence.
"To your room?"
Manuel:
His hand moved to brush over the rings on her finger once again and he directed the swell of love he felt towards her. He could barely believe that she was willing to give him another chance, but this time he wasn't about to ruin it. Dios, he hoped that he'd learned his lesson.
Eyes moving to hers as he felt that anger, he breathed through it and then gave her the slightest nod. He wasn't going to blame her for what she'd done, but his brother...
There would be words.
He stepped back as she started packing. He had already gotten his own bag ready. He would have left without her, but he hadn't wanted to. No. Waiting patiently, he nodded and then reached out for her hand. "I'll take care of any guards who might stop us. We can find a way out of our contracts after we've left."
Walking to the door, he opened it and let her out, crossing down the hall to the men's dorms and his own room.
Allison:
Allison followed closely behind Manuel, her bag slung over her shoulder. She was ignoring the sheer exhaustion her body was feeling. How tired she was wasn't important. How sore her body was after being beaten on by Omega Red and the pieces of the lab falling on her wasn't a concern anymore. The only thing she wanted to focus on was getting the hell out of Russia.
She waited by his door, her eyes straying to the bed they'd spent so much time in together. It didn't matter; they could rebuild those memories somewhere else. When Manuel had his bag, Allison turned and looked out into the hall, seeing no one. She held her hand out to him and laced her fingers through his, walking at his side.
"Let's get the fuck out of here." Allison offered him a hopeful smile, her thumb brushing over the band on his finger. They had to make this work; the two of them weren't just in love with each other. They'd been made for each other. As they moved toward the door that would lead them outside into the bitter cold, an MP spotted them.
"Whoa whoa, where the fuck do you think you're going?" He cocked his rifle.
Allison wanted to shift, wanted to liquefy the cement wall and embed him in it. She simply didn't have the energy to even draw up her form. Her eyes moved to Manuel, and her hand squeezed his. She didn't care what he needed to do to get them out of that place.
Manuel:
He would have reached for her bag, but he had to collect his own first. After he'd packed and made his way back out of the room, he slid his hand into hers and noticed the last bit of that lingering glance. Leaning in, he brushed his lips across her temple and sighed. "Yes, let's go." He moved down the hall with her, his hand in hers.
He only paused when they reached the door and the MP stopped them. Turning, his eyes shone briefly purple before he closed them. "You don't really feel like doing that, amigo. We're leaving and you don't want to stop us...there's no point in it."
The man's hand eased off of the rifle and Manuel nodded. "Good." Turning, he squeezed Allison's hand and then pushed open the door, tugging her out with him and towards the garage. They'd boost a Jeep and then get the fuck out of Dodge.
Allison:
She looked away when he started working on the MP, that familiar nervous feeling whenever Manuel blatantly manipulated someone in front of her twisting in her stomach. She pushed it away and kept moving, following him through the icy chill outside and into the unheated chill of the garage. Allison grabbed Manuel's bag from his shoulder and moved to the jeep, shoving the bags into the back seat and sliding into the passenger side.
Her mind focused only on how she wanted to get away from here, how she wanted to start over with him. She loved him; that was what mattered. The rest of it, she could get past over time. As Manuel slid into the car, Allison leaned over into him, sliding her hand along his jaw. She let out a shallow breath, then took in a deep one, steeling herself for all of this.
As her thumb stroked over his cheek, Allison looked up into his eyes, locking her gaze there for a long moment. "I love you, Manuel." Her voice was strong as she said it, more stating fact than convincing anyone of anything. She smiled at him a little, feeling the truth of her statement wash over her. She leaned in and kissed him, letting it be the passionate kiss she needed to give him, breathing hard against his cheek. "Te quiero, mio." She whispered it against his lips, then leaned back into her seat, pulling her hand away from his cheek.
Manuel:
Her nerves were hard to ignore, but this needed to be done. Neither of them wanted to be shot in the back as they attempted to escape this hellpit. He moved briskly past the MP, hoping that they didn't run into another, and he slid into the garage with Allison. He knew where they kept the keys for the Jeeps, going through the drawer until he pulled the keys marked with the number they were taking.
He slid into the driver's seat, adjusting it for his height, and he looked up, leaning into Allison as she moved her hand over his jaw. His eyes locked on hers, a surge of love and gratitude moving over their bond, and his lips quirked in a sad smile. "I love you too, Allison." he breathed, one hand moving up to slide beneath her jaw to cup her face. He returned every ounce of that passion, his lips moving against hers before he drew back with a breath.
"Te amo, querida." he murmured, leaning back finally to start the Jeep. He revved the engine and then threw the vehicle into drive, moving towards the doors and out of this damned place.
Allison:
She reached over and slid her hand into his after he'd shifted the car into gear, lacing her fingers through each of his and holding on tightly. It wasn't enough that they were leaving together. She felt the need to solidify them again, in some way. It was hard to trust him, and she knew it would be slow going to get back to where they were before.
But she wanted to.
And she loved him.
Maybe some time together in Spain, without the worry of anything else, with the dread and fear of their contracts absolved (however Manuel got that done, Allison wasn't going to question. Not this time, not when they both needed it so desperately). She'd miss Kurt and Pyro, but she'd shoot them emails. They'd know. Maybe she'd thank Logan properly... Most likely not, on that last one. He hated her.
It didn't matter. All of that was being left behind and she had a future with Manuel to look forward to.
Allison:
Back from the mission, and Allison was bruised to hell, and exhausted. Prying herself out of the jeep with a hiss, she batted off the MP's that approached to take her to the medlabs. "Fuck off, I'm fine," she growled, twisting away from them and heading toward her room.
She'd had to be carried back to the pickup. They'd redressed her, and when she'd come to in the jeep, she'd pulled her boots back on. Oddly, Allison was more embarrassed that she'd had to be carried out than that she'd been naked. She kicked open her door, flopped into her bed, and promptly passed out.
It was easier than thinking about the mission, or about how she was supposed to be hating Manuel instead of worrying about him.
Manuel:
He'd been sitting in the cafeteria when he got the news that they'd gotten back from the mission. His foot was tapping, his knee bouncing in a futile attempt to work out all of the anxiety and aggression that had been building since they'd gotten here.
God, this place was hell. He thought about everything that had happened between them since getting here and he wanted to scream. As soon as he heard that they were back, though, he waited to hear what had happened.
Magma was safe, but she'd refused medical treatment. That immediately struck his worry so he headed to her room, knocking on the door before opening it and crossing to her bed.
"Allison?" he breathed, reaching out to push some hair from her face in concern. She might hate him, but he'd hate himself more if she was really hurt and he'd let her go without treatment.
Allison:
Allison generally slept like the dead, and now was no exception. She was out cold, the massive amount of energy she'd tapped into for the mission having drained her to a point she couldn't remember having been drained before. She still had her boots and coat on, and she hadn't bothered getting under the covers.
The touch to her face caused her to stir, and she heard Manuel's voice. In that sleepy moment, her mind didn't connect that she was supposed to hate him now, that he'd done something so terrible to her. All she felt was her love for him, and her face turned into his hand, her own hand coming up to cover his. "Hi, mio," she mumbled drowsily, smiling.
She blinked her eyes open and looked at him, seeing that hollow look in his eyes. Her brow knit, concerned, then everything crashed back in on her. There was a reason he had that look in his eyes. It was the same look she had, that soul-destroying ache. Her face fell and she pushed his hand away, pushing back from him. She slid up the bed until her back met the wall, the bruises around her torso making her wince slightly.
"What?"
Manuel:
The moment that she greeted him with his old pet name and a smile, his heart squeezed. He felt his throat grow tight and his brow furrowed, his hand lingering for a moment. She realized what was going on, though, and he drew his hand back as she knocked it away.
"I wanted to check on you. They said that you were hurt, but refused to be seen." he murmured, taking a step back at her reaction. Of course she would feel like that. He'd done things to her, unspeakable things.
"Are you alright?" he asked, suddenly feeling as though he had no right to be here or ask her that question, but dammit, she was still his wife.
Allison:
Her gut reaction to his question was to ask him, "What the fuck do you care?" but she knew far too well that he did care for her. Allison stared at him, then shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah, I'm fine. Dandy." Her voice was flat, monotone.
She wasn't fine. She was as far from fine as she could ever remember being. And she missed him to the point of aching pain. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes dropping from his face. It was too hard to look at him. Her gaze lit upon his hand, and her stomach gave a full flip. He was still wearing his wedding band.
Allison held her eyes there until they started to burn, then looked up at him. "Why are you here? You could've asked the other teammates what happened."
Manuel:
"You're not fine." he answered back, frowning as his eyes moved over her. She was still in her coat, her boots. She hadn't had the energy to take them off. He knew her too well. He swallowed, his face shadowed by that hollow look he got when things were so very not alright. He watched her, each breath pained, and his gaze dropped to his hand when hers did.
Manuel sighed. He wanted to sit down on the edge of her bed, look over her, categorize each bruise so that he could be assured that she was alright. She wouldn't let him, though, he knew it. He could feel her pain, her defensiveness, and his lips set into a line.
"I don't like them. I don't care about them." He had asked, though. It's how he'd known that she'd refused treatment. "I care about you and your well-being. I needed to see for myself if you were alright."
Pausing, he closed his eyes and let his chin fall as he took a step back. "I know I shouldn't have come here, but...I had to ask you something."
Lifting his gaze again, he caught her eyes. "Do you still want to leave?"
Allison:
She looked away as he confirmed what she already knew but didn't want to admit. He cared about her. Allison drew her knees up to her chest, wincing again at the bruises that covered her stung. She wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, with Manuel cradling her. But she ignored that desire. She wasn't allowed that anymore.
"I'm fine." Her voice had lost any real conviction. Allison wasn't fine; she was so far from fine it read all over her. But physically, she'd heal. She looked at him when he said he had something to ask her, ready for nothing and everything all at once.
Her eyes narrowed when he asked if she wanted to leave.
"Does it matter now?" She'd all but begged him to leave with her before her memories had been returned, when she easily could've forgotten what she already didn't know. Now?
Now there was too much water, and the bridge had washed out.
Manuel:
"You can't lie to me, Allison." Manuel murmured, prying into her emotional state as much as he ever had. He might not have had the right now, but he needed to know. Now he did. She was an open wound, bleeding pain.
"No you're not." he reiterated, shaking his head just once before he took a step towards the bed. He paused at the edge of it, dropping his eyes to hers. His own were haunted, tired.
"Yes. I spent the entire time you were gone thinking about how I'd messed up things. That I may never have gotten the chance to tell you that...no matter what I did, Dios." He ran his hand over his hair to rest it at the back of his neck. "It does matter now. This isn't where you want to be. Where I want to be."
"And I want to be with you." he exhaled, squeezing his eyes shut before his chin dropped again.
Allison:
Allison stared at her knees as he spoke, glancing at him occasionally. His words were true; she wanted to leave, and she wanted to be with him. But she couldn't let herself. Not now, not with everything that had happened. The last three months of her life were a total lie, and it was because of him.
She looked over at him, seeing his head drop. Without even thinking, she grabbed his arm and tugged him down to the bed, sliding across to butt herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Allison hated herself for it, reveling in the closeness, the smell of him, the way he simply knew her. Her hand rubbed slowly over his back, and she sighed heavily, shakily.
"I don't want to be here," she agreed. She might have agreed with the rest, too, but she couldn't bring herself to say that aloud. "But you're the one who said it; they won't let us leave." They were under contract. They had to stay.
Manuel:
He looked at her in surprise. It was the last thing he'd expected of her, to pull him close after what he'd done. He'd hoped for it, yes. Thought it possible, no. But then, he always did underestimate the power of emotions when they were truly felt.
He moved to the bed and slid his arms around her waist, holding her tightly for a moment before he realized that she might be hurt. His hand slid up, fingers tangling in her hair, and he leaned in. She smelled of fire and faint smoke, but she also smelled like she always had. His nose dragged along her cheek as he inhaled and he frowned.
Pride surged up within him, bitter and black. He'd been an idiot then. Of course they could leave. He'd force Stryker to call off their contracts if he had to. "We can leave. How will they stop us?" he asked, pulling back to meet her eyes. "They can't."
Allison:
She winced only slightly when he wrapped his arms around her, then tilted her head into his hand as he brought his fingers into her hair. It was all so easy to fall back into; they'd only been separated for a few days, and yet she ached with how badly she'd missed him. Allison pulled back and looked at him as he looked at her, her stomach hurting as she looked into his eyes.
Could she really just forget everything by her own choice, start over with him, knowing what he'd done? Did she love him that much?
He dismissed her objection, and she looked to his mouth, unable to meet his eyes anymore. "I don't know if I can, Manuel." Her brow knit, worry lining the space between them. It wasn't that she didn't want to; if she could honestly pretend nothing happened, and just be with Manuel, she wanted to. She stared at his mouth for a long moment, then leaned in hesitantly, biting her lip before satisfying that need inside of her by kissing him lightly.
"I want to, but I don't know that I can," she whispered against his lips, pulling back that little bit to look at him, conflict reading strongly through her eyes.
Manuel:
Manuel let his hand rest in hair for a long moment, curling his fingers around the strands of pale blond before he pulled back and looked at her. She missed him, he could feel it in his bones. He didn't have to delve into her emotions to tell. It was written in her eyes.
"Why?" he asked, his voice soft. He wasn't going to press her, as much as he just wanted to. As much as he wanted to manipulate her and make her decide to agree, he wasn't going to do that. he couldn't. As she leaned in, he held his breath and savored the light kiss.
He honestly hadn't expected to ever feel the touch of her lips again, not without coercion. He wouldn't do that to her.
"Tell me why. Please." he murmured, his eyes moving over her face, taking in every detail. The dark circles under her eyes, the exhaustion from her mission. From their fight. His hand moved up, cupping her cheek, and he dragged his thumb over her brow.
Allison:
She leaned into his touch, the roughness of his hand over her skin so easy and familiar. Her mind was so conflicted; memories of how perfect things had started to become between the two of them when neither could remember Brazil conflicting with reality, her want for him so strong yet so broken. She shook her head and took in a deep breath, frowning.
"I just... I want to forget all of this, pretend it never happened... But it did happen." Her face turned to brush her lips against his palm. "I don't know that I can separate what happened from everything else, even if I want it." She looked back at him, feeling her eyes and nose burning with tears she wasn't going to let out. Her body ached with exhaustion and injury, and she wanted nothing more than to curl into his arms and forget the world for awhile.
"But I want to. I still love you," she said in a voice that shook for all she was worth.
Manuel:
He watched her carefully, his blue eyes ticking over every line of her face. He was trying to gauge her, wishing that he was actually psychic. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, not exactly, but she hadn't pushed him away. Not yet.
"I know. And for that?" he let his other hand come up to cradle her cheek, his thumb stroking her skin as she turned her cheek. "For that I'm sorry. I was stupid. Selfish." he took a deep breath, his own eyes stinging as she spoke. She may have wanted to curl up in his arms, but he wanted to take her far away from here.
His chest clenched as she spoke and he sobbed out a soft breath, squeezing her against him. "I love you. Te amo." he breathed into her ear, a lone tear slipping from his eye. He didn't bother pushing it away. "Let's leave. Go to Spain. Get away from here."
Allison:
She knew his apology was honest, heartfelt, even without the link between them. He was sorry, but she didn't know that she could accept it, or believe it wouldn't happen again. She wanted to believe it, with every fiber of her being. It was just hard to wrap her head around it, with everything else that had gone on.
Allison buried her face into his neck, taking in the scent of him, feeling her body tremble a little at his words. He was saying everything she needed to hear, everything she wanted more than anything, but there was such a hurdle in her way. The idea of Spain drew her, someplace they'd had such an amazing time, such a connection... "Spain?" She pulled back and looked up at him again, seeing the streak from the tear that had broken down his cheek. Her hand came up to wipe it away, and she tilted her head down, letting her forehead rest against his.
"I want to... God do I want to." The silent 'but' was written between the words. Her resolve was breaking, but she still didn't know that she could still be with him; not with everything that was so destroyed between them. "I'm broken, Manuel. I'm broken, and I can't ask you to fix me." She pulled back and looked at him, her vision blurred. "I don't want to promise something I can't deliver on and break you, too."
It was the most honest thing she could say to him in that moment. She wanted to go with him, she wanted to push all of this crap away and just be with him, but she really didn't know what she could and couldn't do anymore.
Manuel:
He let his fingers slide into her hair, brushing against her neck, soothing. He felt her tremble and he looked at her as she pulled back, licking his lips and looking away as she brushed the tear from his cheek. "Mhm." He was having trouble speaking for fear that he would just break down, and he hated that above all other things. Emotions were weakness and God he knew it.
"But." he filled the word in for her and then winced, dipping his head down as she spoke. It was his fault. He'd been the one who had broken her. He could fix her, shine all of the shadows out of her heart, but that's not what she wanted or needed.
"I'm already broken, querida. It is not a matter of fixing you or me. It is a matter of fixing us. Perhaps the other will come with due time..." he murmured, kissing her temple softly. "I miss you."
Allison:
She pulled herself in closer to him when he said he was broken, when he said he missed her. They were both just so fucked up. All she really knew was that she still wanted him in her life. That she felt like half of her was missing. "I miss you too," she said in a whisper, squeezing him tighter and tighter, until her arms shook.
Allison pulled back and drew her arms from around him, keeping close but needing a moment. She needed to think about if it was all worth it. She knew she loved him, but she'd figured out before that loving him wasn't enough. They were married now, but that hardly negated everything that had gone on between them. When she just simply asked herself what she wanted, the answer was easy.
She looked up at him, seeing those blue eyes that shot strait through all the bullshit to pierce her heart. She reached up and into her shirt, pulling her dogtags off with a sharp downward yank, then she leaned in and kissed him hard, with an intense hunger that spoke to how badly she needed him.
Breaking away slightly, her lips still brushing his, Allison looked up at him again. "Open it again, please." She needed to feel him, know that they were in the same place. "Then we can go."
Manuel:
He sucked in a short breath when she admitted to missing him and his throat tightened to the point of pain. He didn't know why he'd thought that risking everything he'd had with her had been worth it. Certain that he'd been an idiot, he pressed his cheek to the side of her head, pulling his fingers gently from her hair.
When she pulled back again, his fingers lingered on her cheek for a moment and he locked eyes with her, his own searching and sad, though the tiniest spark of hope nearly glowed there in the blue. He rocked back a little when she kissed him, but he was quickly sliding his arms around her to hold her tightly as he returned the hard desperate kiss.
His eyes widened just a hair at her request, though he nodded and then squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his forehead to hers as he took a deep breath. Establishing an emotional connection was much easier when the two people involved were feeling very strongly about something, better when it was about one another.
That being said...
He fumbled with it for a moment, his control weaker now that he was an emotional mess, but soon the emotions between them were mixing together, the reforming of the bond making him heady. It was like regaining the use of a limb you hadn't realized you'd lost.
Allison:
She closed her eyes when he nodded, leaning in to rest against his forehead as he leaned into her. She waited with baited breath, letting out a relieved sigh when she felt his emotions pressing in on hers again. She kissed him desperately once more, her fingers sliding through his hair. It hurt to feel his hurt, feel his remorse, feel everything else he was feeling tangling with her own. But above the undercurrent of heartbreak, she could feel his love for her above it all.
"Let's go, mio," she said against his lips, bringing her hands to cup his cheeks as she looked up at him. She picked up her dogtags from her lap and hurled them into the garbage can by the door, the aluminum plinking when it hit the bottom. She couldn't stay there anymore, and more than anything, she wanted to be with Manuel.
"Does your family know we're coming?"
Manuel:
He felt her emotions settle into him again and he echoed her sigh. It was one thing to be able to access her emotions through her, but to feel them as she felt them...that was what he had missed. He returned her kiss, his hands sliding back around her, and he held her close. He regretted everything he'd done to her, but he never regretted her.
"Si." he breathed, reaching up to strip off his own dog tags. He snapped the chain and closed his hand around the rings, sliding them off and then tossing his own tags in the garbage can. He shook his head to her question and then took her hand, pressing the rings into them.
"No. I will call them on the way. They will not mind, I know they won't." And I'm going to kill my brother... He didn't say that, no, but there was a bit of ire before he clamped it down and then squeezed her hand again, pushing off of the bed to stand.
Allison:
She watched his hand move across his dogtags, then take her hand. She felt the rings in her palm, and Allison felt her heart beat out of step with it's normal pace. Her eyes didn't meet his as she slid the rings back onto her finger. Though they'd only been there a short period, she'd felt their absence.
Allison felt the surge of retribution, of anger, then looked at Manuel closely. It was gone as soon as it came, and she wasn't about to start another argument between the two of them. She'd ask him later, and she'd make sure the two of them agreed to full disclosure from here on out. Allison couldn't get the mental picture of Manuel fucking Jean out of her head, but she damned well wasn't going to let it happen again.
He was hers. He was always hers.
She stood up with him, hugging him for a quick second before pulling her bag out from under the bed. Allison tossed all of her clothing into it, along with the few personal items she had. She was packed in less than ten minutes, a bonus to being forced to live such a barren existence.
"To your room?"
Manuel:
His hand moved to brush over the rings on her finger once again and he directed the swell of love he felt towards her. He could barely believe that she was willing to give him another chance, but this time he wasn't about to ruin it. Dios, he hoped that he'd learned his lesson.
Eyes moving to hers as he felt that anger, he breathed through it and then gave her the slightest nod. He wasn't going to blame her for what she'd done, but his brother...
There would be words.
He stepped back as she started packing. He had already gotten his own bag ready. He would have left without her, but he hadn't wanted to. No. Waiting patiently, he nodded and then reached out for her hand. "I'll take care of any guards who might stop us. We can find a way out of our contracts after we've left."
Walking to the door, he opened it and let her out, crossing down the hall to the men's dorms and his own room.
Allison:
Allison followed closely behind Manuel, her bag slung over her shoulder. She was ignoring the sheer exhaustion her body was feeling. How tired she was wasn't important. How sore her body was after being beaten on by Omega Red and the pieces of the lab falling on her wasn't a concern anymore. The only thing she wanted to focus on was getting the hell out of Russia.
She waited by his door, her eyes straying to the bed they'd spent so much time in together. It didn't matter; they could rebuild those memories somewhere else. When Manuel had his bag, Allison turned and looked out into the hall, seeing no one. She held her hand out to him and laced her fingers through his, walking at his side.
"Let's get the fuck out of here." Allison offered him a hopeful smile, her thumb brushing over the band on his finger. They had to make this work; the two of them weren't just in love with each other. They'd been made for each other. As they moved toward the door that would lead them outside into the bitter cold, an MP spotted them.
"Whoa whoa, where the fuck do you think you're going?" He cocked his rifle.
Allison wanted to shift, wanted to liquefy the cement wall and embed him in it. She simply didn't have the energy to even draw up her form. Her eyes moved to Manuel, and her hand squeezed his. She didn't care what he needed to do to get them out of that place.
Manuel:
He would have reached for her bag, but he had to collect his own first. After he'd packed and made his way back out of the room, he slid his hand into hers and noticed the last bit of that lingering glance. Leaning in, he brushed his lips across her temple and sighed. "Yes, let's go." He moved down the hall with her, his hand in hers.
He only paused when they reached the door and the MP stopped them. Turning, his eyes shone briefly purple before he closed them. "You don't really feel like doing that, amigo. We're leaving and you don't want to stop us...there's no point in it."
The man's hand eased off of the rifle and Manuel nodded. "Good." Turning, he squeezed Allison's hand and then pushed open the door, tugging her out with him and towards the garage. They'd boost a Jeep and then get the fuck out of Dodge.
Allison:
She looked away when he started working on the MP, that familiar nervous feeling whenever Manuel blatantly manipulated someone in front of her twisting in her stomach. She pushed it away and kept moving, following him through the icy chill outside and into the unheated chill of the garage. Allison grabbed Manuel's bag from his shoulder and moved to the jeep, shoving the bags into the back seat and sliding into the passenger side.
Her mind focused only on how she wanted to get away from here, how she wanted to start over with him. She loved him; that was what mattered. The rest of it, she could get past over time. As Manuel slid into the car, Allison leaned over into him, sliding her hand along his jaw. She let out a shallow breath, then took in a deep one, steeling herself for all of this.
As her thumb stroked over his cheek, Allison looked up into his eyes, locking her gaze there for a long moment. "I love you, Manuel." Her voice was strong as she said it, more stating fact than convincing anyone of anything. She smiled at him a little, feeling the truth of her statement wash over her. She leaned in and kissed him, letting it be the passionate kiss she needed to give him, breathing hard against his cheek. "Te quiero, mio." She whispered it against his lips, then leaned back into her seat, pulling her hand away from his cheek.
Manuel:
Her nerves were hard to ignore, but this needed to be done. Neither of them wanted to be shot in the back as they attempted to escape this hellpit. He moved briskly past the MP, hoping that they didn't run into another, and he slid into the garage with Allison. He knew where they kept the keys for the Jeeps, going through the drawer until he pulled the keys marked with the number they were taking.
He slid into the driver's seat, adjusting it for his height, and he looked up, leaning into Allison as she moved her hand over his jaw. His eyes locked on hers, a surge of love and gratitude moving over their bond, and his lips quirked in a sad smile. "I love you too, Allison." he breathed, one hand moving up to slide beneath her jaw to cup her face. He returned every ounce of that passion, his lips moving against hers before he drew back with a breath.
"Te amo, querida." he murmured, leaning back finally to start the Jeep. He revved the engine and then threw the vehicle into drive, moving towards the doors and out of this damned place.
Allison:
She reached over and slid her hand into his after he'd shifted the car into gear, lacing her fingers through each of his and holding on tightly. It wasn't enough that they were leaving together. She felt the need to solidify them again, in some way. It was hard to trust him, and she knew it would be slow going to get back to where they were before.
But she wanted to.
And she loved him.
Maybe some time together in Spain, without the worry of anything else, with the dread and fear of their contracts absolved (however Manuel got that done, Allison wasn't going to question. Not this time, not when they both needed it so desperately). She'd miss Kurt and Pyro, but she'd shoot them emails. They'd know. Maybe she'd thank Logan properly... Most likely not, on that last one. He hated her.
It didn't matter. All of that was being left behind and she had a future with Manuel to look forward to.