Water In My Lungs

Unwilling

**TRIGGER WARNING**

Estelle rested her head on the hard angle of her knees, staring at the chipping teal paint on her toenails. The tap water of the bath was still, something she hadn't expected. She'd slept peacefully and awoken two hours after than the sun had risen, feeling a strange bliss at an adequate amount of sleep. An eerie suspicion crept over her as she ran the bath water. It provided no comfort that the water refused to wrap it's way along her skin as it usually did.　
Estelle thought of Bedivere and the anger that had bloomed in his fitful silver eyes. She thought of her friend Killian and the way his named had inspired a rage that her pursuer emitted clearly. A horrible fit of dread sprouted in her stomach and died away as the warmth of the water comforted her rested body. The blonde tugged away the shower curtain that clung to her back.　
She stood, wrapping her hair into a dampened, tangled braid. The walls did not feel as close as they usually did. She let out a sigh of relief and cast a short-lived look into the mirror, accustomed to the circles that usually rested under her eyelashes. They had lightened.
Estelle smiled ruefully to herself, wrapping the towel around her and descending the hallway to her room. They hadn't been bothered by the Shannon police in nearly a week now. She couldn't bare the thought of approaching O'Brien with her fears. For some reason, the lightening weight in her chest tried to tell her she might not need to. The wave of optimism had her slipping on her nightgown and pulling an old book from her suitcase.
She wrapped herself into the soft sheets of her bed, the unfamiliar scent of the freshly washed comforter clinging to her skin. She liked it. Estelle untucked a series of bookmarks and decided to start from the beginning, leaning onto her elbows to prop herself as she read.

"Dublin! I've never been there." Connor's eyes widened at the series of photos in Killian's outstretched hands. "... Do you really think it's okay? Leaving town for the whole day?"
"Isn't that what you wanted to do, get away from everything?" Killian seemed unsure of his proposition, folding the papers back into his back pocket.
"Of course!"　 Everything had been fairly uneventful for the past few days, peaceful even with the growing morale and health of the town.　 "You think Estelle will be okay alone?" she questioned, fingers edging along the rim of the glass in front of her. Killian hummed, a small smile gracing his features at the woman's kind heart. He sat on the bar stool next to her, hands reaching forward to remove hers from the glass.
"She seems as if she'd prefer it," he told her, honestly. Connor raised a brow with a slight look of vexation.　
"I know. It just bothers me." The young woman stood, emptying her glass into the sink. "There's too much negativity, even without Bedivere's tantrum. We really..." She paused, biting her lip. "We really should get out of here for a bit," she concluded, steps perking as she strolled across the kitchen and up the stairs.　
Killian waited patiently as the blonde called for her friend.
"Hey!" she called as she rounded the corner of the door frame. Estelle looked up from her book.

"Hey." She seemed calm. Connor walked over and plopped down onto the mattress next to her friend, examining the small letters at the top of the page.

"You okay?" she asked, rubbing Estelle's shoulder comfortingly.

"Yeah! I actually feel really good today. Kinda weird," she said, chuckling endearingly. Connor rolled off the bed and onto the floor, laying flat on her back as she looked at her best friend.

"So, I was gonna ask you something," she began and Estelle slipped the book mark into the book and closed it. She shifted onto her side and rested her head in her hand.

"What's up?"

"Well, Killian and I were thinking of going somewhere... maybe not for long, or very far... but he wanted to take me to Dublin," Connor rambled, casting an uncertain eye to Estelle as she spoke. "He wanted to take me to Dublin to see the city and stuff, maybe go to dinner." Estelle smiled at the nervousness of Connor and she shook her head.