[ INCOMPLETE ]

[flameoflorelei]

Who: Asch and Guy
What: The Church holds on tightly to its own
Where: the bar
When: Several days after this log, where Guy gets killed
Rating: PG 13?
Open: No.

Comments

[jewelofgardios]

Consciousness returned to him slowly - sluggishly, much to his surprise. Guy was used to waking suddenly thanks to the curse slot, so the concept of taking his time with it seemed almost alien.

... The curse slot.

He gasped, eyes snapping open, body forcing him upright before he could even consider what his body's state might be. He'd been stabbed, bled to death on the street. He... had died. Again.

Swallowing hard, Guy unbuttoned his shirt to lower the material from his shoulder, revealing the curse slot mark. It was dull once more, no longer glowing or pulsing or making any sort of indication of life.

Was it over? He couldn't tell. But even seeing it that way - normal, and gloriously painless - was a relief too great to describe. Even just a short respite from what he had become was a gift

[flameoflorelei]

Sleep had not come easily to Asch after his encounter with Guy and his curse slot. Loneliness had turned into its own demon, and nightmares he'd often had after his kidnapping had twisted themselves to adjust to his stress. More than once, he'd dreamt of being tied down to a replication device with a hate-fueled Guy at the helm

[jewelofgardios]

Guy hesitated, unsure of what to do for a moment. Could he risk getting close to Asch again? What if the curse slot returned? What if he attacked Asch without warning? He was unarmed, sure, but he could do plenty of damage without a weapon if he caught the redhead off guard.

But as he took a slow, almost stumbling step forward, he felt nothing but relief, affection, and guilt. There was no hatred, no anger, no misplaced urges to hurt or destroy the young man.

He was himself. He was himself again...

That was all the evidence he needed. Within moments he was moving again, hurrying towards the bed with a soft cry. Before he reached it, he just let himself drop like a rock, falling to his knees and bowing down until his forehead rested against the edge of the bed, both hands tightly gripping the blankets. He couldn't tell if Asch was awake or asleep with his back turned that way, but honestly, it didn't matter. It wouldn't have made his faint whisper - calling to Asch, begging to face him, to speak with him once more, if only once -

[flameoflorelei]

It was a nerve-wracking moment, waiting for Guy to respond. Asch heard the blond move and nearly stumble. His body tensed, waiting for a strike that never came.

There was only a muted cry. It broke Asch's heart to hear it. It sounded so painful, and Asch couldn't let it lie. It had been bad enough that he couldn't help Guy before, when the curse slot was torturing him with pain. But what now?

He stirred a little bit. His body was still somewhat tired, but Asch forced himself to speak. "Which one are you?" he mumbled quietly. Before anything else, he needed to know.

[jewelofgardios]

Which one? Which one?What else could he say or do to reassure Asch that the church's influence was gone? Of course he wouldn't have allowed Guy to speak with him directly. The trust was gone, all because of him.

He hated it, hated knowing how far back into the danger zone he had dragged their relationship, but this was something he could not just ignore. He would face the consequences of his actions, however coerced they had been.

"I-I think it's me," he whispered, shoulders shaking a little, not lifting his head yet. He hadn't felt so terrified in years. "I-- god, Asch, I'm so sorry..."

What a feeble excuse for an apology it was - but what else could he do? Words were all he had to offer.