the scars of your love [soulmate scars au]

[theunpressuredclub]

Shea is usually careful, with her. With the other Spades, he has a little freer reign-- most of the time, their soulmates are nonexistent or in the Suit as well. Knowing that makes him a little more comfortable about doing with them what he will. No one in the Suit is going to fight him on what he does, after all; not with Medea's blessing protecting him.

But she's a risk. She's someone who's more likely to be connected to someone outside of the Suit; someone he can't control. So he's usually careful to make sure that the injuries that do end up marring her body are ones easily explained away by the excuse of training. 

But she's gone too far, this time. She's pushed too hard in an attempt to protect too fiercely. She's going to go home bruised and battered; a gash across her leg and a knife injury to her shoulder that's going to be absolutely impossible to hide.

Comments

[ofthecubs]

"'m honestly pretty amazing. It's true."

And true that she would be ushered with infinite care to his little apartment. True that she would be shooed (carefully and slowly) to take the bed under the promise he'd take the couch.

And true that, while finding painkillers, he'd try his luck again. "I could get my mom. If y' really don't want a doctor."

[theunpressuredclub]

She'll agree to being ushered into the apartment. She'll stay flopped on the couch until it's actually time to sleep.

She'll actually pause to consider his offer, before nodding carefully, "Only if she's-- not busy. It's really... it's really not that big of a deal."

[ofthecubs]

"She's probably not. Besides, she adores you, hm?"

But they can start with a deep breath here. They can start with him perching on the edge of the couch, counting out a few pills for each of them.

"Give these a minute t' kick in, yeah, and I'll run over."

[theunpressuredclub]

"'nly if you're-- really feeling better."

He seems to be having particularly bad echoes, after all.

"It can wait."

[ofthecubs]

"I will in a minute, Rach, promise." It is starting to ease up, now that they're sitting. He's certain that the ghosts of pain will be relieved once the drugs have kicked in properly. "--look. It's really not that bad."

Some people are incredibly private about their scars. There are a few Edgar keeps cautious of--he suspects his shoulder will be kept to himself most of his life--but the slash across his leg surely isn't such a personal thing.

So he isn't particularly hesitant to catch slightly up the leg of his pants, just enough to reveal the off-color scar now scratched across his skin. "Just-- sort of in a bad place."

[theunpressuredclub]

It's possibly just a coincidence. It's just that he's looked so shaken up. It's just that there's a scar across her ribcage that she's thought, a time or two, might be like what Edgar would have gotten falling out of the tree saving Toby.

It's just that the cut does look remarkably like the one she's acquired, tonight, too.

"...That's good." She's going to start moving to get her feet, "Y'know, I'm-- kinda tired now. Maybe I'll just-- head to bed."

[ofthecubs]

It's a definite shift. It absolutely has him reaching out, brow furrowed and shoulders tensed slightly with worry.

"Easy. Can you stay up at least until someone's taken a look at you?"

[theunpressuredclub]

"No, no. I'm-- pretty exhausted."

The tension that appears in her own shoulders has her wincing as it tugs at the wound. Forcing them to relax takes effort.

"Already have everything-- all bandaged up anyway. Should be good."

[ofthecubs]

"--hey. Okay. Okay."

The pain is obvious. The pain has him shifting too fast as well on his leg to offer her support.

"Will-- you let me double-check, at least? Before you go to sleep? So I'll know when we need to change the bandages?"

[theunpressuredclub]

A vehement shake of her head. That would absolutely be worse, after all.

Then he would know for certain the connection they have, and how clearly she hadn't been hurt by falling down the stairs.

"It's okay. I can do it."

[ofthecubs]

"But you shouldn't have to." Especially not with a friend here to help. Especially not when it would soothe his worried heart to be able to do something for her. "I can still-- get my mom if it's-- somewhere awkward."

[theunpressuredclub]

"Just-- leave it, Ed."

She startles herself when the overwhelmed tears suddenly fill her eyes. Turning away is instant.

"I-it's fine."

[ofthecubs]

"--hey. Hey. Okay. I'm sorry."

It's impossible not to touch, but he can be careful. His fingers move delicately to her hair, needing compulsively to smooth even though she's turned away.

"It's okay. We're okay."

[theunpressuredclub]

She'll still be fairly tense as his fingers touch her hair. It's still going to hurt her shoulder, a slight whimper escaping her lips at the ache. Lifting her own hands to brush away the tears is forceful.

"--Sorry."

[ofthecubs]

"Don't apologize." Not that he doesn't understand the impulse. "Just-- breathe, okay? You're okay here. It's safe here."

And that's something that needs reinforcing.

[theunpressuredclub]

"O-okay."

A shaky breath.

"Sorry, it's just been a-- really rough day."

[ofthecubs]

It's difficult, but he manages to bite back the impulse to press. His fingers move carefully now to her elbow, not squeezing so much as resting.

"You don't have to... tell me, if you don't want to." He could imagine it might help, and he could imagine it might make everything worse. "But... let us take care of you, Rach. At least a little. At least-- what's physically bad. Please?"

[theunpressuredclub]

Breathing is shaky. Running the fingers of her good arm through her hair comes with a heavy sigh, before she nods.

"O-only if you-- promise y'won't ask me to tell."

[ofthecubs]

"I won't."

His mother will, he's certain. And his mother will be able to do it in a kinder, gentler, more thoughtful fashion.

"Just let me handle this much, hm?"

[theunpressuredclub]

"A-all right."

She can let him in that much. She can, hopefully, keep the truth enough hidden away that it won't matter she's letting him in this much.

[ofthecubs]

"Thank you." It's an indulgence, after all. It's not something she had to allow. His fingers squeeze carefully at her elbow as he nods toward the bedroom. "Let's get you settled, then."

[theunpressuredclub]

"Okay."

She's still shaking, just a little. She's going to have to lean against him slightly when they move towards the bedroom.

"...Thanks, Ed."

[ofthecubs]

"Anything, Rach."

It's still one of the easiest promises to make in the world. It's easier still now that the drugs in his system are staving off the echoes in his own shoulder and leg, making it easier to take her weight.

[theunpressuredclub]

"You're th'best."

And she's still going to cling just a little to him when he helps her settle onto the bed. He makes her feel safer, after all.

[ofthecubs]

Sticking close to her is easy. Keeping a hand at her elbow and his weight leaned heavily against the bed is easy. Looking at her with an open sort of adoration is easy, if also entirely unconscious.

"We're gonna be okay. I promise. Lemme take a quick look and you can go to sleep, all right?"