Hellfire ✞ a.f.i.

17: wings

    I wanted to give you everything,
But I still stand in awe of superficial things,
I wanted to love you like my mother's mother did.

Civilian; Wye Oak

        Eden swallows a lump in her throat as she watches Luke disappear into the elevator. Her gaze casts downwards towards the pavement of Ashton's balcony, her stomach twisting, as if she was falling, yet again, over the ending. She suddenly felt very subconscious of the fact that she hadn't showered in close to 48 hours. She isn't about to ask to use Ashton's facilities, her pride much to swollen and fragile to do so. However, the awkward tension has made it clear to her that perhaps it would be better if Eden did go home, at least for a moment?

Whatever had just taken place between Luke and Ashton, she was certain, at least part of it, had been her fault. Her gut feeling was rarely wrong, after all. Even still, despite all odds, Eden stands, unsure of what to do next.

So, she turns her chin up to look at her boyfriend, still stone-faced, staring after where the Altior had disappeared. His grip over her shoulders was strong, but not restricting, firm but not worrisome, tight but not possessive.

"Ashton?" Eden's voice, softer than usual, though awake, breaks him out of his trance, out of his daydream of that night in '72.

"Hmm?" Ashton tilts his head to the left ever so slightly as he looks down at her, studying her soft features and her plethora of freckles, for a fleeting moment wondering just how much power she holds in that noggin of hers.

Her head beginning to ache from the lack of sleep catching up to her, and the constant fleeting images cross her vision, she closes her eyes before asking him the following:

"Would you mind if I went back to my place? Just for a minute to freshen up?"

"Eden," Ashton chuckles, brushing his thumb delicately over her chin, "you can do whatever you want; you shouldn't worry about what I think."

"I know," she admits with a small sigh, "It's just...I don't know if I can talk to Michael, yet, after what happened."

Ashton's stomach drops ever so slightly at the thought of Michael explaining things to her. Even so, he considers in a way that calms his burnt nerves, Michael has already damaged Eden's trust in the worst way possible: he had shown her his wings. What additional harm could clarification bring? Would Michael really expose all of the Fallen to catch Eden up to speed? Even if he did, there was no guarantee she would believe him or what she would do with that information.

He decides then that it is time to trust again; to trust a woman again. If she wants him as badly as he supposes she does, then he should have nothing to worry about.

"You don't have to talk to him, if you don't want to, sweet thing," He says, in a tone Eden notices to be stern, almost leaning, as he brushes a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, "You know that, don't you?"