Crimes and Punishments [N.H.] (AU) #Wattys2022

VII

Seven
Song Selection:
'Blue Monday' New Order
'Black and White' Niall Horan

'It's the moon that makes it so still, weaving some mystery.'

After he rewarded her by making her come, they put on underwear and went to sleep. He had his arm wrapped around her with her pulled towards him. He faced the back of her head and lulled himself to sleep with her floral scent.

'No, you're killing our baby...' she murmured, waking Niall up. 'Please stop it, we're having a baby!' She started to cry and he gently shook her in an attempt to wake her up.

'Roisin, wake up! You're having a nightmare.' She woke up crying and Niall rocked her back and forth. 'Shh, I'm right here.'

—

The next morning, Niall and Roisin got dressed. Niall didn't ask her about the nightmare, because he knew she would tell when she's ready. But he still wondered about the baby...did it die? Did it survive? She looked like she'd never carried a baby before, but he also knew he couldn't make assumptions.

But he knew if it died and it happened at the hands of that abuser, then there were going to be some problems, he knew that much.

'Uh, I have to go home and finish my paper. It's due tomorrow night.'

'You don't want to have breakfast first?' She shyly smiled as she wrapped herself in the sweater.

'Um, sure. Can you make those crepes again?' He laughed.

'Sure, anything for you.' An hour and a half later, they were into eating and she was enjoying her food. 'So, what are you doing your paper on?'

'Um,' she said before swallowing her food and wiping her mouth. 'I'm taking Philosophy of Religion and we had to choose a topic that distinguishes the different theories of the selves.'

'And what are these different theories of the selves,' he asked before he drunk his coffee.

'The self is identical to the soul, self is identical to the body and brain, the self is identical to one's psychology or memories, and that the self is not a thing that remains the same over time but, a collection of a person's stages that are linked casually.'

'And what theories are you doing your paper on?' He was very interested in her body, but he believed it was the mind that drew him in. Now, he just had to work to get to her soul. She grinned.

'The ones that define Buddhism and Hinduism.' He hummed.

'And what do you think about the mind-body problem,' he asked well aware that she had an opinion of such as philosophers do.

'Do you mean am I of duelism or monism?' She grinned and he gave a nod. 'I'm still questioning the problem myself, so I'm not sure.' She looked up at the clock and frowned as she noticed the time. 'I-I have to go.'

'You should finish your food first.'

'Right,' she sighed. He was saddened that she had to go as he enjoyed her presence and their conversations. He also remembered he had to start reading some of the Fiumara book, so he couldn't be late in putting up the reading. Tardiness was definitely a pet peeve of his.

It always annoyed him in school when the teacher was in the middle of a lesson and some student would come in late. The teacher would stop the lesson just to chastise the student for being late. He swore if he was a teacher, he wouldn't do that, because if they missed part of the lesson, that is on them. It is only if and/or when they come to his office hours that he would chastise them for missing part of the lesson for being late. He was not going to deprive the class of important information because of a late student.