Sheridan is in the room all the time now, and Dusk slowly gets used to it. Shade sits in his favorite chair and writes in a record book, or cleans his rifle, or stocks ammo, or just stares at the ceiling. Dusk is mostly silent, using few words when they hold short conversations, mostly about the goings and doings, nothing deep or serious.
At midnight Shade gets up and goes to Sheridan. "Do you need me to stay up?" he asks.
"Uh, no, that's fine."
He studies her a little longer, then nods and leaves for his room. Dusk crosses her arms and watches the thick, milky moonlight wavering across the ceiling.
"I haven't asked him yet," Sheridan says softly.
Yeah, she hasn't. It's pretty obvious. Dusk doesn't feel like answering, but she does eventually. "I know."
Sheridan sighs and Dusk shifts her gaze towards her. Sheridan looks up.
"If he tells you anything at all, he'll tell you about himself, nothing about me," Dusk says, a little unwillingly.
"Why?" So nosy.
Because this whole thing is too close to his heart, buried too deep. "That's the way he is."
Sheridan's face changes a little, and she waits for more, but Dusk is finished talking.
Sheridan goes to sleep eventually, and Dusk does, too. After staring at the ceiling and remembering. Remembering everything all too well.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Dusk wakes up at six and sits up. The pain in her back is much less than it was. She runs her fingers through her hair to detangle it and pulls it back into a neat Dutch braid, then rests for a little longer.
At seven, she throws the blanket off. Time to go. As if he had read her mind, Shade comes into the room, and takes her hand as she stands for the first time in thirty-six hours. Her back complains and she feels weak, but she has gone through much worse. She's good to go.
She lets Shade support her as she limps a little, walking out of the room and into the next apartment over, 168. Once there, she goes by herself to the window, getting used to how much she can use her leg and side. The pain is there, but easily manageable.
Shade looks at her heavily, coming to stand by her side. "Are you sure you're ready?"
She nods decisively. "Yes."
He takes her hand and stares at it for a long while. Dusk waits and lets him process whatever he's thinking, fingers closing gently around his. "I don't want to lose you again..."
"Hey." She turns towards him and takes his shoulders, catching his gaze and holding it. "You won't. I will not make the mistake of not being there for you for so long ever again. And Carakter won't get the slip on me again either."
He smiles and looks back out the window and Dusk does, too.
"Well, goodbye then," he says finally.
Dusk nods and turns, walking back into 169, her limp barely there. Sheridan's awake.
Dusk turns and crosses her arms as she faces Shade again. "I'll see you when I see you." She studies him, shifting her weight onto her good leg.
"Are you sure." He leans against the doorframe, his own gaze on the carpet, and she nods.
"Okay," he says. "Just come back if you need anything."
A small smirk flickers over Dusk's face and she nods again, humoring him. He rolls his eyes.
YOU ARE READING
Nocturnal Gale
Action"Ow," Dusk complains, picking herself up and brushing her hair out of her eyes. Jason is good, and he's not holding back. "Oh come on," he taunts, "That didn't even hurt." "Easy for you to say," she gripes, stepping up again. She mirrors his raise...
