Present received

[gift_girl]

Characters: Justine, (maybe Skysong?), Thomas, possibly open
Time: After the return of the Blackstone.
Location: outside the Blackstone Hotel
Content: Justine has received a present - and goes to thank the sender. Oblivious that anything odd may have happened.
Format: Whatever; various threads possible
Warnings: None, for now

Comments

[godofcologne]

There had been a lot of reasons to send Skysong with the gift rather than delivering it personally. Avoiding the wards around the Blackstone Hotel. Keeping up the fiction that she'd gone to the hotel for her own safety. But while they were all soundly logical, none of them were true. The simple truth was he didn't want to see her. Didn't want to see her but not touch her. Didn't want to see her face light up at the sight of his gift. Didn't want the touch of what was inside the box to burn his skin. Or, worse yet, for the touch to not burn, to confirm the most insidious fear he'd harboured since his return to the family fold

[gift_girl]

Justine was far too aware that it was difficult on him. Far, far too aware. It was part of the reason she stayed away from him, most days. Letting him work his ways through things, not having to worry about her too much, not having to be all the tame faced with the presence-absence, with the memory of what used to be, with the feelings that shouldn't be there.

This was special, however. He could have had the present delivered many ways - sending Skysong meant something. And since Justine's thanks for it all were completely genuine, she could go tell him.

She did not, however, expect him to be this close, as she spotted the car pretty quickly after walking out, coat and gloves firmly around her, even if without a hat, silver-white hair blowing slightly in the wind.

Justine didn't quite skip over to the passenger side of the car, but her smile was sunny, and she only peripherally noticed the rocks that had appeared around the hotel.

[godofcologne]

He'd been perched on the hood of the car, staring up at the hotel and thinking. Of reasons to go in, of excuses not to. He'd nearly made up his mind to drive away when Justine came out of the hotel, pale fine hair blowing in the wind. Thomas' hands tightened into fists, the cold leather of his gloves squeaking as he did, trying to stay still, to not run and fall to his knees in front of her.

Except his body had other ideas. He wasn't even aware that he'd moved until his arms were around her, gloved hand running through pale hair he could no longer feel between his fingers, his arm tightening around her as if she was some fragile thing that would break if he held her too tightly.

The words came just as unbidden to his lips, quiet and reverent and disbelieving. "You're alright."

[gift_girl]

It took her breath away, both how absolute the gesture was and the infinite tenderness of it.

Her own arms went around him, squeezing back, tightly. She couldn't crush him, so she just hold on with the strength she knew he wanted to hold her with. Other than that, she stilled inside his hold for a little. Just stood, not-stirring and close, very close.

"I am absolutely fine," she murmured eventually. Not consoling, not condescending, not even that surprised by the question. They'd both been through enough for her to know the gesture and tone of voice, and that it meant real, justified concern. Her answer was matter of fact, letting him know just exactly how little she's known about any cause to worry, the steadiness in her voice hopefully an anchor for him, solid and steady, as much of that as she could give him.

"What happened?"