(camp) lapse
THIS IS SO FUCKED UP AND I AM GOING TO HELL. THAT IS ALL.
Joshua can and does spend hours tucked away in some quiet part of the woods with the illu-His sister. Without a word, he will move to another tree that has tangled roots that makes a nice seat for them when he hears the noise coming close.
He is the happiest he has ever been; he can't imagine anything else greater than this. She doesn't say a word. And she doesn't need to. When Joshua nods off as he always does, she lingers in his arms, never leaving. If he spends a few minutes with his computer or books, flipping through endless amounts of captivating tales, it only takes a word for her to come back to him, smiling with a boquet of wildflowers in her arm. She settles by his side as if she missed him more than he could have-He's sure she has and chides himself for being distracted from her. As tremors wrack and run through him, she pushes his hair back gently and takes a wet hankerchief across his forehead, then she holds him with soft, indiscernable whispers. Even though she has makes no noise-His sister is perfect for small reasons like that too-Joshua doesn't need to listen to know that she is worried about him, wishing the pain could go away. Once he can breathe normally, he holds her hand, strong and sure, then she's relived. It takes only that, and they are happy once again.
Joshua does not dream as he never has. But when he can't sleep through the night and wakes to the stars filtering through the canopy of trees, he looks down to her head tucked into his chest and wonders if he is dreaming. He has all he's ever wanted.
One day, as he is reading aloud the tales of Sinbad, Joshua pauses. She only looks up expectantly, immersed in the story like she hasn't heard it a hundred times before. He smiles helplessly for a moment to reassure her and she presses her palm against his cheek, silently understanding. The touch causes him to lean into it, as the loneliness from the years apart still lingers, before he lets his fingers curl around hers. Joshua lets his fingers whisper across her bangs, wondering if they were always so soft-No, they had to have been. As he brushes her hair aside, he leans down in a motion more natural to him than anything has been for a long time. Her lips are tender and warm, hesitating for a moment in confusion before gently and tenderly pressing back so faintly that it might be his imagination. It doesn't last longer than a brief moment. The only trace of the lapse is the faint pink of her cheeks as Joshua pulls his sister closer. His hands wander to recover the book, taking a moment to remember the page they left on, before he begins reading again.
Joshua can and does spend hours tucked away in some quiet part of the woods with the illu-His sister. Without a word, he will move to another tree that has tangled roots that makes a nice seat for them when he hears the noise coming close.
He is the happiest he has ever been; he can't imagine anything else greater than this. She doesn't say a word. And she doesn't need to. When Joshua nods off as he always does, she lingers in his arms, never leaving. If he spends a few minutes with his computer or books, flipping through endless amounts of captivating tales, it only takes a word for her to come back to him, smiling with a boquet of wildflowers in her arm. She settles by his side as if she missed him more than he could have-He's sure she has and chides himself for being distracted from her. As tremors wrack and run through him, she pushes his hair back gently and takes a wet hankerchief across his forehead, then she holds him with soft, indiscernable whispers. Even though she has makes no noise-His sister is perfect for small reasons like that too-Joshua doesn't need to listen to know that she is worried about him, wishing the pain could go away. Once he can breathe normally, he holds her hand, strong and sure, then she's relived. It takes only that, and they are happy once again.
Joshua does not dream as he never has. But when he can't sleep through the night and wakes to the stars filtering through the canopy of trees, he looks down to her head tucked into his chest and wonders if he is dreaming. He has all he's ever wanted.
One day, as he is reading aloud the tales of Sinbad, Joshua pauses. She only looks up expectantly, immersed in the story like she hasn't heard it a hundred times before. He smiles helplessly for a moment to reassure her and she presses her palm against his cheek, silently understanding. The touch causes him to lean into it, as the loneliness from the years apart still lingers, before he lets his fingers curl around hers. Joshua lets his fingers whisper across her bangs, wondering if they were always so soft-No, they had to have been. As he brushes her hair aside, he leans down in a motion more natural to him than anything has been for a long time. Her lips are tender and warm, hesitating for a moment in confusion before gently and tenderly pressing back so faintly that it might be his imagination. It doesn't last longer than a brief moment. The only trace of the lapse is the faint pink of her cheeks as Joshua pulls his sister closer. His hands wander to recover the book, taking a moment to remember the page they left on, before he begins reading again.