⠀⠀

⠀
            bernadette  doesn't  know  how  to  comprehend  this.
            
            she  doesn't  know  how  to  let  herself  be  held,  how  to  sink  into  something  warm  without  bracing  for  the  inevitable  cold.  she's  spent  too  long  making  sure  no  one  got  close  enough  to  see  her  like  this   ⸺   messy,  vulnerable,  weak.  not  her  friends,  not  her  sisters.  and  yet  here  she  is,  crying  in  percival's  arms.  damn,  this  is  awfully  embarrassing.  she  wants  to  push  him  away.  she  should.  but  she  stays.  and  the  worst  part .ᐣ   a  part  of  her  doesn't  want  to  leave.
            
            the  silence  is  heavy.  stifling.  it's  so  deafening  that  the  only  thing  she  can  occasionally  hear  is  the  sound  of  her  own  uneven  breathing,  the  humiliating  hitch  of  her  sobs.  did  she  ever  mention  how  much  she  hates  this .ᐣ   yeah,  she  hates  this.  a  lot.  how  come  he's  effortlessly  bypassing  every  defense  she  spent  years  building,  doing  nothing  more  than  holding  her .ᐣ
            
            ⠀⠀⠀❛⠀⠀percival  …
            
            she  manages  to  rasp  out,  voice  hoarse  and  cracking  on  his  name.  and  by  god,  does  she  hate  that  too.  she  isn't  sure  what  she  wants  to  say.  isn't  sure  if  she  should  tell  him  to  stop  or  if  she  wants  him  to  hold  on  forever.  could  be  both.  could  be  neither.  in  a  swift  motion,  she  hastily  wipes  her  tears  away  with  her  sleeves.  who  cares  if  her  makeup  gets  ruined.
            
            ⠀⠀⠀❛⠀⠀…  i  should  go  home.  i  think.
            
            in  spite  of  what  she  says,  she  doesn't  pull  away.  her  body  stays  pressed  against  his,  speaking  a  different  truth  as  it  reveals  a  reluctance  she  doesn't  bring  up.  and  for  the  first  time  in  decades,  she  lets  herself  lean  into  him  just  a  little  more.
            
            maybe  it's  because  …  he  fe͟e͟ls  like  home.
            
            ⠀ ┈┈┈┈┈⠀⠀﹙  @draquIa  ﹚
            ⠀

 ⠀⠀⠀‎‎‎ ̩͙╬⠀ ཋྀ ⠀˖ ⠀ ۫⠀ ‎@sanquinarian 
            
            and  oh,  how  he  felt  like  he  was  taken  to  another  time  when  she  finally  allows  herself  the  self-compassion  to  melt  into  his  arms.  percival  keeps  one  arm  wrapped  around  her  to  support  her  while  a  gloved  hand  reaches  up  to  cradle  the  back  of  her  head  with  a  tenderness  she  hasn't  known  since  what  felt  like  forever  ago.
            
            percival  felt  like  he  was  nineteen  again,  holding  bernadette  when  she  was  a  lot  smaller,  and  had  yet  to  learn  about  the  cruelties  of  the  real  world.  who  would  have  thought  that  after  nearly  two  decades  of  separation,  they'd  be  in  this  situation.  reunited  but  not  quite.  so  close  and  yet  still  worlds  apart.
            
            he  doesn't  say  anything  anymore  —  lets  the  silence  do  the  talking  for  both  of  them  (they've  done  enough,  he  figured)  like  the  calm  after  the  storm.  though  he  does  pull  her  even  closer,  in  a  way  that's  meant  to  soothe  her  —  lets  her  cry  and  sob  into  her  chest  because  she  needs  this.

⠀
            bernadette  squeezes  her  eyes  shut.  she  hates  how  easily  he  says  it.  how  naturally  the  words  seem  to  come,  like  they  belong  to  her  when  she  knows  they  don't.  like  they  fit  into  the  cracks  of  her  that  she's  spent  years  making  sure  would  never  be  filled.  she  should  push  him  away.  she  should  shove  him  off,  say  something  cruel,  laugh  in  his  face  and  tell  him  how  foolish  he  is  for  thinking  she  could  ever  be  worthy  of  that.  of  anything.  of  hi͟m.
            
            hesitant  as  ever,  she  buries  her  face  in  his  chest.  a  sharp  breath,  a  small  shudder   …   then  something  damp  and  unwelcome  seeps  into  his  clothes.  she's  crying.  god,  she's  fucking  crying.  she  doesn't  even  know  why.  the  tears  come  without  warning,  without  reason,  and  she  can't  remember  the  last  time  she  let  herself  fall  apart  like  this.  it  feels  strange,  foreign.  giving  in  has  never  felt  right.  emotions  have  never  felt  right.
            
            she  had  so  much  to  say  before   ⸺   cutting,  relentless,  unwilling  to  stop,  filling  the  space  between  them  with  noise  she  barely  thought  through.  talking  was  her  defense.  talking  kept  the  walls  up.  but  now,  not  a  single  word  leaves  her  lips.  just  silence.  just  the  pathetic  way  she  clings  to  him,  like  he's  the  only  thing  keeping  her  from  breaking.
            
            ⠀ ┈┈┈┈┈⠀⠀﹙  @draquIa  ﹚
            ⠀

 ⠀⠀⠀‎‎‎ ̩͙╬⠀ ཋྀ ⠀˖ ⠀ ۫⠀ ‎@ensanquined 
            
            well,  that's  only  because  i  think  of  you  as  a  little  princess - —  what  with  the  way  you  dress  and  speak.
            
            ** percival  teased,  though  his  words  rung  true.  he  allowed  the  younger  girl  to  lean  further  into  his  side  as  she  pleased,  fit  herself  into  the  space  like  she  belonged  there,  and  in  turn  his  gloved  hand  reached  for  her  own  in  a  show  of  promise.  flashing  her  a  boyish  grin.  **
            
            you  can  take  my  word  for  it.  besides,  why  would  i  want  my  first  friend  to  ever  be  alone?

⠀
            ⠀⠀⠀❛⠀⠀gracefully,  huh .ᐣ   you  make  it
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ sound  like  i'll  be  some  kind
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ of  …  elegant  and  impressive
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ person  someday.  i  guess  i'll
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ have  to  live  up  to  that  now.
            
            her  lips  twitch  into  a  small  amused  smile,  looking  up  at  him.  contrary  to  her  usual  reaction,  she  doesn't  complain  about  her  hair  being  tousled  after  the  pat.  she  shifts  slightly,  still  leaning  into  him,  trying  to  take  comfort  in  his  words.  but  something  about  them  feels  …  off,  though  she  can't  quite  pinpoint  why.  she  figures  it's  probably  just  her  mind  trying  to  mess  with  her  again.  still,  what  percival  had  said  is  better  than  nothing.
            
            ⠀⠀⠀❛⠀⠀you  won't  allow  it .ᐣ   you're
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ really  not  going  to  let  that
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ happen,  are  you .ᐣ   like,  you
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ seriously  won't .ᐣ   you  pro͟m͟i͟se .ᐣ
            
            ⠀ ┈┈┈┈┈⠀⠀﹙  @draquIa  ﹚
            ⠀

 ⠀⠀⠀‎‎‎ ̩͙╬⠀ ཋྀ ⠀˖ ⠀ ۫⠀ ‎@ensanquined 
            
            ** the  gesture  surprises  percival  at  first.  bernadette  didn't  usually  do  that  with  him  —  to  lean  against  him  like  this  must  mean  she  was  comfortable  with  him  to  a  degree.  he  couldn't  help  but  smile  a  little  at  this  new  development,  though  it  was  unexpected  it  certainly  wasn't  unwelcome.  not  when  it  makes  him  feel  warmth  for  the  very  first  time.  makes  him  feel  human. **
            
            you  are  still  young.  
            
            ** he  eventually  reassures  her.  his  gloved  hand  coming  to  rest  atop  her  head  before  giving  it  an  affectionate  rub. **
            
            you  won't  understand  this  now  but  your  life  hasn't  even  started  yet.  you  will  grow  gracefully,  and  you  will  experience  many  people  in  due  course.  some  might  come  and  go  in  your  life  but  you  will  never  be  lonely.  i  won't  allow  it.

⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀‬‬⠀ 
            ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀‬‬ ୧‿̩͙ ˖︵ ꕀ⠀ ♱⠀ ꕀ ︵˖ ‿̩͙୨
            ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀‬‬   T⃨O⃨      T⃨H⃨E⃨      V⃨A⃨U⃨L⃨T⃨S⃨,
            ⠀‬‬  ⠀⠀‬‬  ⁽  ᵖᵉʳᶜⁱᵛᵃˡ  ⁾          @draquIa
              ⠀‬‬      — — — — — — — — — — — 
            
            ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀‬
            the  hotelier  pinches  the  bridge  of  his  nose.  if  his  jaw  clenches  more  than  it  already  is,  he  might  just  pop  a  blood  vessel  entirely.  it’s  bad  enough  his  work  at  the  agency  has  him  stressed,  but  now  montresor’s  got  to  deal  with  another  impromptu  visit  from  percival  on  top  of  that.  the  lord  does  love  to  see  melchiorre  suffer,  it  seems.
            
            
            ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ ❛   they  will  get  over  it,  i’m
            ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ certain.  it  is  not  the  first
            ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ time  a  peculiar  guest  has
            ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ graced  our  doorstep,  and
            ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ it  surely  will  not  be  the
            ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ last.  i  ⦗do⦘ so  wish  you’d
            ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ call  before  visiting,  
            ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ percival.  ❜

 ⠀⠀⠀‎‎‎ ̩͙╬⠀ ཋྀ ⠀˖ ⠀ ۫⠀ ‎@impunemente 
            ** the  guilt  was  apparent  on  percival's  expression.  his  imposing  figure  turning  heads  inside  the  establishment,  although  it  seemed  he  was  more  regretful  for  the  wrong  reason. **
            
            my  apologies,  dear  friend.  i  fear  your  staff  may  have  felt  threatened  by  my  smile - —  i'd  forgotten  to  smile  without  showing  teeth  at  the  front  desk  and  unintentionally  bared  my  fangs  at  the  poor  things.  :(

⠀
            ⠀⠀⠀❛⠀⠀seems  like  we  were  both  a  little
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ outta  place,  huh .ᐣ   ( … )   it's
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ kinda  funny,  in  a  way.  like  we
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ just  didn't  get  the  memo  'bout
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ how  everyone  else  was  s'posed
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ to  be.
            
            she's  not  exactly  sure  why  she's  opening  up  to  him.  after  all  these  years.  after  antagonizing  him  time  and  time  again.  after  being  separated  for  so  long.  there's  a  faint  smile  on  her  visage,  quite  small  and  lopsided.  bernadette's  attention  remains  on  the  textbook,  though  it's  clear  her  thoughts  have  drifted  somewhere  far  beyond  the  pages.
            
            ⠀⠀⠀❛⠀⠀our  families  are  weird.
            
            ⠀ ┈┈┈┈┈⠀⠀﹙  @draquIa  ﹚
            ⠀

 ⠀⠀⠀‎‎‎ ̩͙╬⠀ ཋྀ ⠀˖ ⠀ ۫⠀ ‎@sanquinarian 
            
            no...  no,  you  were  definitely  a  strange  one.
            
            ** percival  returned  the  look.  wine  red  eyes  peering  over  at  her  through  thick  strands  of  his  ever  unkempt  hair  (it  was  way  longer  than  it  used  to  be  but  it  still  seemed  like  it  never  touched  a  single  tooth  on  a  comb.)  his  lips  part,  and  he  says  nothing  for  a  moment,  the  hesitation  to  reveal  something  about  himself  that  he  had  never  before  when  they  were  only  kids  clear. **
            
            i  didn't  fit  in  either.  even  with  my  own  family.

⠀
            ⠀⠀⠀❛⠀⠀strange .ᐣ   nah,  i'd  say  i  was
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ a  little  bit  adv͟a͟n͟c͟ed,  thank  you
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ very  much.  and  now  that  you
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ mention  it  …  this  book's  prob'ly
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ the  reason  why  i  know  which
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ vital  organ  to  aim  for  if  i  wanna
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ get  the  job  done  quickly.
            
            bernadette  offhandedly  mentions  such  a  thing,  as  if  discussing  assassination  is  just  a  normal  conversation  topic.  she  flips  through  the  textbook,  checking  out  certain  pages  like  it's  muscle  memory  to  her.  maybe  it  is.  she  pauses,  shooting  percival  a  side  glance.
            
            ⠀⠀⠀❛⠀⠀i  didn't  exactly  fit  in  with  the
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ other  kids  back  then,  y'know.
            
            ⠀ ┈┈┈┈┈⠀⠀﹙  @draquIa  ﹚
            ⠀

⠀
            ⠀⠀⠀❛⠀⠀“ a  certain  little  girl ”   ⸺
            
            after  swatting  away  his  hand,  bernadette  parrots  in  mild  indignation,  glaring  at  him.  to  think  she  managed  to  put  up  with  all  of  percival's  antics  decades  ago  …  now,  she  isn't  sure  how  much  longer  she  can  last  before  she  ends  up  giving  him  an  inconvenience  that'll  keep  him  up  for  an  entire  week.  probably  something  worse  than  slashing  his  car  tires  because  she's  petty  like  that.
            
            ⠀⠀⠀❛⠀⠀perci,  that  was  twenty  years
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ago.  i  was  tw͟e͟l͟ve.
            
            ⠀ ┈┈┈┈┈⠀⠀﹙  @draquIa  ﹚
            ⠀

 ⠀⠀⠀‎‎‎ ̩͙╬⠀ ཋྀ ⠀˖ ⠀ ۫⠀ ‎@sanquinarian 
            
            well  you're  not  wrong,  i  don't  typically  see  other  women.  although,  it  is  a  little  off-putting  seeing  you  in  this  attire - —  i'm  more  accustomed  to  a  certain  little  girl's  frilly  dresses  and  hair  bows.
            
            ** percival  teased.  reaching  a  gloved  hand  down  to  boop  her  on  the  nose  —  twice.  lips  curved  into  a  cheeky  smile. **

⠀
            ⠀⠀⠀❛⠀⠀you  worry  too  much.  stop
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ fussing.  what  are  you,  a
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ victorian  man  seeing  a  woman's
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ankle  for  the  first  time .ᐣ  why
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ do  you  care  about  what  i  wear,
            ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ anyway .ᐣ 
            
            bernadette's  brows  furrow  when  he  starts  to  scold  her.  she  drags  her  gaze  at  his  tall  figure   ⸺   up  and  down,  left  and  right   ⸺   as  if  she's  trying  to  find  even  the  smallest  space  to  slip  through  and  break  into  a  full  sprint  to  get  away  from  him.  yet,  she  doesn't  act  on  her  thoughts  and  simply  stays  leaning  against  the  doorframe.  the  mention  of  his  car  tires  amuses  her  but  she  fights  off  the  urge  to  smile. 
            
            ⠀ ┈┈┈┈┈⠀⠀﹙  @draquIa ﹚
            ⠀