pain_train | SANCTUM INBOX

"You shouldn't sneak into my room," Wrath says. "I might have hurt you. And really don't ever do that to Maine." Though Maine locks his door. But you never know.

She reaches to take the scroll, curious. She'll just read it now. "If it's nothing you'd have just like left it on my plate or something."

"Noted." Never going to sneak anywhere again, really. He's just terrible at it.

He gets up to leave but aw hell she's reading it now and he's not sure if he should stay and see if she has anything to say or if he should leave and let her read in peace. In the end he winds up waffling by the door, one hand on the frame and surreptitiously looking back.

His gut twists, as if he's waiting for some life or death verdict. Her friendship meant a lot to him and he didn't want to think he'd fucked it all up because he was being stupid.

Wrath makes that decision for him. "You," the tip of the machete points unerringly at him even though she's looking at the note. "Sit." Points toward the end of her bed with the blade. It's not a tone she's used on him, much, more one that Maine would recognize. It's a time that says she's used to being obeyed, perhaps even out of fear.

Then she finishes reading the note. Huh, she thought they were done talking about that, but it's okay if Orion brings it up. She reads it a second time.

"It's okay," she finally says, looking up. "You don't have to apologize."

No, he's not used to hearing that tone, but he respects Wrath so he sees no reason not to listen. He sits, still tense as she reads the letter, and it's with a sigh of relief as he relaxes when she's finished.

"I know, but ... I wanted to." His tone is soft, but sincere.

Edited 2015-03-06 17:48 (UTC)

"Thank you." She finally puts the machete away, like she's just realized she's still holding it. "You're a good guy, Orion."

Thanks for not eviscerating him.

"... who can sometimes be a dumb boy." He smiles slightly, using her own phrase.

Any time, pal.

Wrath laughs. "Well yeah. Sometimes you are. Sometimes Maine is too. Everyone's dumb sometimes."

He's quiet, looking at his hands. She's got a point, and yet he hasn't seen Maine get her as riled up as he did the other day. They're supposed to be taking care of her, not making things worse.

"I think on a scale of dumb to dumber I'm definitely dumber." ~~ha Maine he wins~~ He hefts a sigh. "I'm not sure where I fit into any relationship. It's not something I pursued back home and its not something I really know how to handle here." Relationship meaning anything, really. He thought having friends was easy, but this weird comforting confusing closeness he has with Wrath and Maine is anything but. "I feel like a shitty friend."

"I think I get to judge that," Wrath says.

She smiles wryly. "Join the club. I'm bad at the friend thing and it just gets worse. Guess if we're all bad at it, that makes it easier to forgive each other, right?"

She twitches back the corner of her blankets. Don't worry, she's fully clothed in something soft and pink and thoroughly cute. "Come on. Gotta be cold out there."

Orion chuckles, "Birds of a feather."

And, you know what? He's going to take that offer. No it's not warm when your pajamas consists of boxer shorts. "I kind of like it. Reminds me of Old Russia." Fully kitted out, still, but he couldn't say he minded it.

Still, he's going to try not to entangle his cold toes with Wrath's while he gets comfortable.

"What's Old Russia?" Wrath gives him a minute to get settled, then snuggles up against his side, cheek resting on his shoulder.

He curls his arm around her shoulder. It's nice, laying with her like this.

"It's where my Ghost found me, on Earth. Just outside the wall to the Cosmodrome." He indulges himself, thinking about how it all felt that day. Stiff joints, biting cold, Fallen screaming in the background, at those first moments having little making outside Ghost advising him to run. Run.

She definitely likes that and breathes out a little contented sigh against his shoulder. He smells nice. But not going to say that. It's probably a weird thing to say.

"What's the Cosmodrome?" She hesitates, since he's not wearing a short and she's trying not to freak him out, but. Why not. She slides an arm over his chest to hold onto him a bit better. "But you got to see Earth. That's really cool."

"What's left of it, at least. Cosmodrome was a spaceport at one time, probably what I was originally defending. Ghost said people used to come from all over to get on colony ships headed to the stars, back during the Golden Age. Now, it's the front line on our war with the Darkness."

There's something therapeutic about this, it's not a competition about who's world is in worse states, it's nostalgia. Memories that he can access. It's not the same and it'll never be the same, but it's something.

"So you were always on earth?" What an amazing thought. "Did you ever see a spaceship?"

He makes a small noise, he's not explaining himself well enough. "I was in a ship within a half hour of being Revived. Junker, has to go back to get a drive unit for interplanetary travel. Nothing like Kirk and Christine's ship, from what they've described."

"That's so cool, though. I've never even seen a spaceship."

"Mmm." He rubs her shoulder, smiling to himself as a thought forms. "I'll just have to make you one."

It;s becoming harder to stay awake. He's relaxed after getting those thoughts and words out of his head, grateful Wrath forgave him and they had the talk they did. Relevant or not, he enjoys her company. Right now, she's a a warm, solid pulse next to him. He's entirely sober, this time around, and much more able to appreciate this moment for what it was. He sighs and nestles his head closer to hers.

"Oh wow, that would be so cool!" She's assuming a model, here, and that's still a cool thought. It's awesome when wants to make something.

She moves her thumb lightly against Orion's side. "Maybe I'll try to paint a spaceship sometime."

"Maybe I'll let you paint my spaceship." It feels nice. It feels so nice. Just, trying to forget everything else and enjoy the contact for what it was. Simple affection. It's so easy in that moment to just drift off into sleep without any other thoughts.

"You'll just have to tell me what it looks like..." Oh, but he's falling asleep. She'll let him sleep, and try to settle back in herself.

He does sleep, long and deep, rousing only long enough to shift position before falling back into that hazy void.

During that time, Wrath migrates to curl around his back rather protectively, her cheek resting at the base of his neck. It's comfortable and warm and... yes, he definitely smells nice. Her fingers are curled loosely against his chest when she starts waking the next morning.

He snuggles back against her, resting his hand over hers and sighing. He's still in that lovely dim space before waking, and he doesn't really want to leave it. There's a slight tension when he realizes morning has brought another surprise, but he takes a moment to center himself and breathe through it.

It's okay. It's okay. You're allowed this, Orion.

"Mmm?" Wrath wiggles her fingers to link then with his; it feels like the natural thing to do. "Morning."

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