justprompts: Car in a storm picture
http://i39.tinypic.com/x1hmb7.jpg
He couldn't find Chase, among the flames.
It didn't matter. He could see Sarah. Sarah, whom Chase had come this close to killing. So close, really, that if Caleb didn't reach her and take her out now, he would succeed.
It was a balance. The flames were feeding his power and drying out his body, choking down his lungs. But he could heal himself enough to deal with that.
And then they were out in the rain, and she was alive, and it would be alright. The world was aglow, patterns and swirls and power lines all around him. The rain. The storm. Her beating heart. The houses he could not see; the towns that his mind knew were there. The people in them.
Power and rain. Exhilaration.
Pain.
He laid her against the first surface that seemed soft enough; everything was equally wet. Then he leaned in to caress her face and undo what Chase had brought upon her.
He had seen it earlier, the way he had seen the spell and its effect back at her room. But now it was brighter, clearer.
And he knew how to unweave it.
Her blue eyes looked up at him, and he smiled. Tender, his whole body was filled with this right now. The tenderness for her, for them all. His mind traveled through the distance, to other spells he'd seen but now could undo.
An absence nagged at his awareness. He shied away from it.
Kate. Burning up in fever, infected bites on her body sapping away at her strength. A small touch, and he knew the beautiful brown eyes which enchanted or drove his friend crazy were open and aware. The fire was subsiding. In little time, the welts would be gone. Soothing, smoothing out the ragged edges of the spell on her.
Pogue. Chase had done something more with him. Power, then physical damage, then more power to affix and worsen it. Fear.
His arms were around Sarah, his suit jacket over her shoulders, as his power worked the tiny, but numerous ways-- there. A gasp, and stronger heartbeat. Pogue's familiar awareness blossoming in his mind, fully awake. Yes. Some of healing on his body, too. The sooner they were both out of the hospital, the better.
The rain had dwindled down to nothing by the time he'd reached the car and settled Sarah there, taking out his phone to call the fire brigade; its screen hadn't survived the explosion of glass earlier.
No problem.
When the firemen arrived, his eyes had cleared to a pre-dawn darkened brown. He'd healed both himself and Sarah as well as he could; still, he couldn't take away that look from her eyes, of too much happening too fast. Scared of a death that she had possibly been so close to, too.
They couldn't save the barn; nor could they find Chase, alive or not. That did not help Sarah's confusion. Fear. Any of it. But she wasn't flinching away from him, and that was... something.
The effort to fix the car's windshield seemed so small that his eyes didn't even fire up in the aureole he'd known for five years now; let alone turn black. The feel of the Power, though; the feeling of things that came with the flow of it in his blood, it was there.
So was the feeling of Sarah's hands around his, long fingers firmly pressing, holding. Blue eyes looking back at him with courage and daring again.
It is alright. All is well.
It was chill enough to put the hood up, preferably, after they'd driven a bit. And it started to rain, again.
Caleb didn't bother with the flip to raise it up.
Their first stop was Sarah's dorm; it was closer than the hospital, and Sarah could use a chance to get into some more comfortable clothes. The dress was still stunning, after fire and rain; it was not daily clothing by any stretch, however.
She even got to shower, rinsing off the soot and memories, or non-memories (hopefully), from her skin.
Caleb waited for her in her room, only leaving briefly to check in on Reid and Tyler. Told them Chase had gone away; Reid's eyes were bright and he had to ask about the ascension; the older boy waived the question with a relative ease. Told them they'd be going to the hospital next, then ran away from them - that is, returned to Sarah's room so she'd find him there as she expected. While he was at it, he took care of a few breaks and tears that Chase had missed the unevenness of which caught his Power's attention, even if his eyes didn't always register them completely.
Things took so much less effort than before. He could do so much more.
It felt so much better. More right
The drive to Gloucester was quiet; they stopped by Kate's room first. He made his excuse to go see Pogue, which alarmed his girlfriend; he leaned his head against Sarah's, eyes flaring and darkening for a bit more fixing the dark-skinned girl up.
"Fill her in, alright?"
"Okay."
"Tell her that Pogue will be alright quickly."
"But we haven't been to see him yet."
"I know. He will be."
She frowned at him, but nodded. He smiled at Kate, whose face was a little bit cleaner of the angry bites than it had been; and went to his friend.
Caleb felt like his face would split with the smile on finding Pogue awake, sitting up, even if he'd known Pogue was better. Sat at the edge of the bed, brushing his fingers on the pale, bandaged forehead, a trickle of power slipping where skin touched skin.
"Hey."
"Hey. What happened, man? How long was I out?"
"On and off for... well. You missed my birthday."
"I'm sorr--"
"It's okay, it's okay. I'm alright."
"How was it?"
"Combative? I whipped his ass. But then he disappeared, so... But he got the point that I could--"
"Wait, wait, wait. You mean he was there and fighting you when it happened? How come?"
Caleb sighed, settled a little, and started from the beginning. Outlining some things, skipping others, but more or less getting through - that he hadn't meant to meet and fight Chase, but he'd been left with no choice. But he'd managed to beat him. Then he'd disappeared.
Pogue's eyes were wide and worried. But Caleb could smile and sound well.
By now, he was only semi-aware of the small ways in which he was Using. Slight glance behind his shoulder to make sure nobody saw, and the glass of water was flying to his hand to pass over to Pogue, instead of walking around the bed for it. Minor items. Unnecessary. His friend's eyes were starting to narrow about it when Reid and Tyler burst in, and he got to tell it all again, and then they were examining Pogue, and saying both he and Kate would be discharged later in the afternoon, and that was good, right?
The discharge went quick and easy, too. Pens seemed to find their ways bouncing up from the floor high enough to be caught. Air currents not spilling paperwork along the hallway to need to be put together.
And then they were loaded up, Caleb and Sarah in the Mustang, Reid, Tyler, Pogue, and Kate in the more spacious Hummer to the dorm. Then Pogue hopped in with Caleb to go home, make sure his parents knew he was alright. The evening was clear and nice; he popped the hood up again. Again, not bothering with the car switch. Then when they got there, got out of the care to give his friend another hug; nudged the gateway open for him just as Pogue was reaching for it.
The blond wheeled around. "Stop that."
Caleb frowned a little. "Hey, I'm sorry about your bike--"
Pogue didn't bother to answer that; grabbed him by the shirt and pressed him against the gate. "I said, stop. using. That's enough, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing's wrong."
"I know that you ascended, but this isn't you. Just stop!"
"Nothing's wrong, Pogue!"
"Quit that, alright? Just. Stop."
"I'm not..." Under Pogue's glare, his face crumpled a little. His body. "It's too easy... it couldn't be that bad, and it feels... so good - it's indescribable."
"So? You know what it means, Caleb. Just don't do it!"
"I can't... it's just small things. And I've got... so much. Even after I ascended... there was another... I got more."
Pressure easing a little. "What do you mean, you got more?"
Looking away. "I asked her not to do... anything. But I think Mother may have gone to Father. And asked him to..." Eyes down to the ground.
"Oh, no no no no..." No answer. "Caleb, no. That shouldn't have happened--"
"Don't you think I know that? I do! I told her not to do it!"
"What if you're wrong?"
"I don't think I am."
"Let's go see."
"You need the rest..."
"I can sleep it off later, and you gave me enough." Small glare. "Let's go. And don't. use!"
Caleb took a breath to retort, but Pogue's fingers were under his chin, forcing his face up until their eyes met.
"You've got to fight it, man. It's addictive. And it'll be the death of you."
Small, slow nod. Pogue let him go, and Caleb slumped forward, head bumping against Pogue's shoulder. "It's so..."
"I know, man. But you can do it. I know you can."
Small, shivering voice. "God... I hope so."
Pogue's arms wrapped around him, and he almost fell against him. "It... almost... hurts to let it go completely."
"It's alright, man. I'm right here."
Silence. In a little bit, Pogue dropped him on the passenger seat, confiscated the keys, and they drove off in the fall evening, one curled up on the seat, shuddering, the other one looking over to him more than at the familiar road.
They didn't go to the old house; Pogue loaded him home directly. Quick words with Evelyn confirmed Caleb's guess. The blond didn't seem to like it all; but right now, Caleb was his main concern.
Neither of them got much sleep that night. But what they did, the dark head was leaning against his friend, the strong, fairer fingers caressing, soothing, comforting.
He couldn't find Chase, among the flames.
It didn't matter. He could see Sarah. Sarah, whom Chase had come this close to killing. So close, really, that if Caleb didn't reach her and take her out now, he would succeed.
It was a balance. The flames were feeding his power and drying out his body, choking down his lungs. But he could heal himself enough to deal with that.
And then they were out in the rain, and she was alive, and it would be alright. The world was aglow, patterns and swirls and power lines all around him. The rain. The storm. Her beating heart. The houses he could not see; the towns that his mind knew were there. The people in them.
Power and rain. Exhilaration.
Pain.
He laid her against the first surface that seemed soft enough; everything was equally wet. Then he leaned in to caress her face and undo what Chase had brought upon her.
He had seen it earlier, the way he had seen the spell and its effect back at her room. But now it was brighter, clearer.
And he knew how to unweave it.
Her blue eyes looked up at him, and he smiled. Tender, his whole body was filled with this right now. The tenderness for her, for them all. His mind traveled through the distance, to other spells he'd seen but now could undo.
An absence nagged at his awareness. He shied away from it.
Kate. Burning up in fever, infected bites on her body sapping away at her strength. A small touch, and he knew the beautiful brown eyes which enchanted or drove his friend crazy were open and aware. The fire was subsiding. In little time, the welts would be gone. Soothing, smoothing out the ragged edges of the spell on her.
Pogue. Chase had done something more with him. Power, then physical damage, then more power to affix and worsen it. Fear.
His arms were around Sarah, his suit jacket over her shoulders, as his power worked the tiny, but numerous ways-- there. A gasp, and stronger heartbeat. Pogue's familiar awareness blossoming in his mind, fully awake. Yes. Some of healing on his body, too. The sooner they were both out of the hospital, the better.
The rain had dwindled down to nothing by the time he'd reached the car and settled Sarah there, taking out his phone to call the fire brigade; its screen hadn't survived the explosion of glass earlier.
No problem.
When the firemen arrived, his eyes had cleared to a pre-dawn darkened brown. He'd healed both himself and Sarah as well as he could; still, he couldn't take away that look from her eyes, of too much happening too fast. Scared of a death that she had possibly been so close to, too.
They couldn't save the barn; nor could they find Chase, alive or not. That did not help Sarah's confusion. Fear. Any of it. But she wasn't flinching away from him, and that was... something.
The effort to fix the car's windshield seemed so small that his eyes didn't even fire up in the aureole he'd known for five years now; let alone turn black. The feel of the Power, though; the feeling of things that came with the flow of it in his blood, it was there.
So was the feeling of Sarah's hands around his, long fingers firmly pressing, holding. Blue eyes looking back at him with courage and daring again.
It is alright. All is well.
It was chill enough to put the hood up, preferably, after they'd driven a bit. And it started to rain, again.
Caleb didn't bother with the flip to raise it up.
Their first stop was Sarah's dorm; it was closer than the hospital, and Sarah could use a chance to get into some more comfortable clothes. The dress was still stunning, after fire and rain; it was not daily clothing by any stretch, however.
She even got to shower, rinsing off the soot and memories, or non-memories (hopefully), from her skin.
Caleb waited for her in her room, only leaving briefly to check in on Reid and Tyler. Told them Chase had gone away; Reid's eyes were bright and he had to ask about the ascension; the older boy waived the question with a relative ease. Told them they'd be going to the hospital next, then ran away from them - that is, returned to Sarah's room so she'd find him there as she expected. While he was at it, he took care of a few breaks and tears that Chase had missed the unevenness of which caught his Power's attention, even if his eyes didn't always register them completely.
Things took so much less effort than before. He could do so much more.
It felt so much better. More right
The drive to Gloucester was quiet; they stopped by Kate's room first. He made his excuse to go see Pogue, which alarmed his girlfriend; he leaned his head against Sarah's, eyes flaring and darkening for a bit more fixing the dark-skinned girl up.
"Fill her in, alright?"
"Okay."
"Tell her that Pogue will be alright quickly."
"But we haven't been to see him yet."
"I know. He will be."
She frowned at him, but nodded. He smiled at Kate, whose face was a little bit cleaner of the angry bites than it had been; and went to his friend.
Caleb felt like his face would split with the smile on finding Pogue awake, sitting up, even if he'd known Pogue was better. Sat at the edge of the bed, brushing his fingers on the pale, bandaged forehead, a trickle of power slipping where skin touched skin.
"Hey."
"Hey. What happened, man? How long was I out?"
"On and off for... well. You missed my birthday."
"I'm sorr--"
"It's okay, it's okay. I'm alright."
"How was it?"
"Combative? I whipped his ass. But then he disappeared, so... But he got the point that I could--"
"Wait, wait, wait. You mean he was there and fighting you when it happened? How come?"
Caleb sighed, settled a little, and started from the beginning. Outlining some things, skipping others, but more or less getting through - that he hadn't meant to meet and fight Chase, but he'd been left with no choice. But he'd managed to beat him. Then he'd disappeared.
Pogue's eyes were wide and worried. But Caleb could smile and sound well.
By now, he was only semi-aware of the small ways in which he was Using. Slight glance behind his shoulder to make sure nobody saw, and the glass of water was flying to his hand to pass over to Pogue, instead of walking around the bed for it. Minor items. Unnecessary. His friend's eyes were starting to narrow about it when Reid and Tyler burst in, and he got to tell it all again, and then they were examining Pogue, and saying both he and Kate would be discharged later in the afternoon, and that was good, right?
The discharge went quick and easy, too. Pens seemed to find their ways bouncing up from the floor high enough to be caught. Air currents not spilling paperwork along the hallway to need to be put together.
And then they were loaded up, Caleb and Sarah in the Mustang, Reid, Tyler, Pogue, and Kate in the more spacious Hummer to the dorm. Then Pogue hopped in with Caleb to go home, make sure his parents knew he was alright. The evening was clear and nice; he popped the hood up again. Again, not bothering with the car switch. Then when they got there, got out of the care to give his friend another hug; nudged the gateway open for him just as Pogue was reaching for it.
The blond wheeled around. "Stop that."
Caleb frowned a little. "Hey, I'm sorry about your bike--"
Pogue didn't bother to answer that; grabbed him by the shirt and pressed him against the gate. "I said, stop. using. That's enough, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing's wrong."
"I know that you ascended, but this isn't you. Just stop!"
"Nothing's wrong, Pogue!"
"Quit that, alright? Just. Stop."
"I'm not..." Under Pogue's glare, his face crumpled a little. His body. "It's too easy... it couldn't be that bad, and it feels... so good - it's indescribable."
"So? You know what it means, Caleb. Just don't do it!"
"I can't... it's just small things. And I've got... so much. Even after I ascended... there was another... I got more."
Pressure easing a little. "What do you mean, you got more?"
Looking away. "I asked her not to do... anything. But I think Mother may have gone to Father. And asked him to..." Eyes down to the ground.
"Oh, no no no no..." No answer. "Caleb, no. That shouldn't have happened--"
"Don't you think I know that? I do! I told her not to do it!"
"What if you're wrong?"
"I don't think I am."
"Let's go see."
"You need the rest..."
"I can sleep it off later, and you gave me enough." Small glare. "Let's go. And don't. use!"
Caleb took a breath to retort, but Pogue's fingers were under his chin, forcing his face up until their eyes met.
"You've got to fight it, man. It's addictive. And it'll be the death of you."
Small, slow nod. Pogue let him go, and Caleb slumped forward, head bumping against Pogue's shoulder. "It's so..."
"I know, man. But you can do it. I know you can."
Small, shivering voice. "God... I hope so."
Pogue's arms wrapped around him, and he almost fell against him. "It... almost... hurts to let it go completely."
"It's alright, man. I'm right here."
Silence. In a little bit, Pogue dropped him on the passenger seat, confiscated the keys, and they drove off in the fall evening, one curled up on the seat, shuddering, the other one looking over to him more than at the familiar road.
They didn't go to the old house; Pogue loaded him home directly. Quick words with Evelyn confirmed Caleb's guess. The blond didn't seem to like it all; but right now, Caleb was his main concern.
Neither of them got much sleep that night. But what they did, the dark head was leaning against his friend, the strong, fairer fingers caressing, soothing, comforting.