Little Lux

14

**mild violence**

October 16th, 2022 - Los Angeles, California

Lux sat on the kitchen counter as Vincent stood in front of her, the palms of her hands faced up in his larger hand whilst he replaced the bloody bandaids with fresh clean ones.

"Hold still, baby" Vincent murmured, his tone calm as he carefully peeled away the hold bandaid from her palm.

Lux flinched, her fingers twitching slightly at the burning sensation. It was the morning after her escape attempt and the scrapes on her palms and knees were still pretty sensitive. Additionally, she was developing a very colourful bruise along her left side from when she fell out of the tree.

Vincent let out a soft sigh, his eyes focused on the scrapes. "I know it stings, but we have to keep these clean, okay? We don't want them getting infected." His voice was low and steady, almost hypnotic, as if he were trying to coax her into calming down.

Lux didn't respond. She gazed off to the side, avoiding his eyes. It was a new day, 'a fresh start' as Sebastian had told her earlier but Lux still felt the same anger and frustration mingling beneath her skin from yesterday. Yet here she was, sitting still as Vincent changed the plasters on her palms and knees.

"You were pretty brave climbing out of that window Luxie," Vincent said after a moment, his tone light but measured. "Not many people would attempt that."

Her eyes darted to his face, searching for any hint of sarcasm. But there wasn't any - just quiet sincerity.

"You drove me to it." Lux mumbles, watching as Vincent dabs a cotton pad with some antiseptic liquid on her palms.

Vincent paused for a moment before reaching over to a new pack of bandaids. There was no anger, no frustration in his movements - just a steady patience that made Lux shift uncomfortably on the counter.

"I know you feel like that," he said softly, returning to his task. "And I don't blame you for being upset, baby. I just wish you'd talk to us about how you're feeling instead of hurting yourself trying to get away."

"I wasn't trying to hurt myself," Lux muttered, her voice defensive. "I just wanted to leave."

"I know." Vincent's voice was calm as he pressed a clean plaster to her palm. "But climbing out a window, falling out of a tree...those things could have ended worse than a few scrapes. We were so scared, Luxie. We just want you to be safe."

Lux stays silent, her palms burning as she tries to find a retort. She hated the way his voice carried no blame, only concern. It made her anger feel small and misplaced, which only made her frustration grow.

"Safe?" She echoed bitterly. "More like trapped."

Vincent let out a sigh, his hands still working as he took in the expression on her face. "No, sweetheart. I mean safe. I know it doesn't feel that way right now, but that's what we're trying to do - keep you safe and give you a place to heal."

Lux blinked, her jaw tightening. "You don't understand," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "You don't get how it feels."

Vincent placed the last bandaid on her other hand and leaned back slightly, giving her some space while still staying close enough to make her feel his presence. "You're right. I don't know exactly how you feel, Luxie. But I'd like to understand. Will you tell me?"

Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest, wincing as her bruised side protested. "You just want me to talk so you can tell me I'm wrong."

"No, sweetheart," Vincent said, his voice soft but firm. "I want you to talk so I can help. I want to know what's going on inside that clever little head of yours. Even if it's hard to hear, even if it hurts me. You matter to me, baby. So so much."