[closed] is it getting harder to pretend

[thephix]

Date & Time: Christmas Day
Location: The house of awesome ladies
Characters: Max Briest, Adonis Casey
Summary: Max gets the best Christmas present
Warnings: gross feelings, talk of suicide


[Adonis is back.

She's not quite sure she can believe it, and for a brief moment she wonders if instead it's Asteria who's here, inside her head and making her dream, but that's extremely paranoid, even for her. It's not as though there isn't precedence for situations like this; Morgana came back, after all, although that reminder worries Max even more. How long has it been for him? What might have happened since then? She can't help thinking the worst, not when she's terrified that he may be dead back home.

Would he tell her, if he was?

She pushes the thought out of her mind as she makes her way back to the house, taking the underground passageways where she can, but it does a little more trudging through the snow than she'd like. It reminds her too sharply of following those traffickers through the snow, of blood and anger and finding Donny's body freezing in the snow. She takes a deep breath, dispelling the thoughts, forcing her mind blank until she arrives at the cottage.


It's Christmas Day, she had to work regardless, but her and Anne have dinner planned for the three of them, four, now, she supposes, but they should have enough food that it won't be an issue. She doesn't go inside, not wanting to share this with Lisbeth or Anne just yet. So she stands on the porch and waits, trying to ignore the thump of her heart in her chest.]

Comments

[bumbles]

Max.

( Quietly, as he rests his temple against hers. It's hardly even pulling back, really, but this feels--

not wrong. But strange, like they aren't on equal footing, though his arms stay tight around her. )

How, uh.

( Are you? How do we work? How do you feel about me being a killer at home? How would you process all this? )

[thephix]

[She doesn't want him to pull away at all, but she has no right to push, not now.]

Yes?

[There are so many things he could be asking, and she can't read him quite as well as she used to.]

[bumbles]

( A faint flicker of a smile, just on the edge of amusement when things are so complicated that it's a little ridiculous. Carefully, he takes one of her hands with one of his own, although his other remains pressed to the small of her back. He turns her hand in his, inspecting the digits, the back of the hand, her palm. )

How are you?

( Really? )

[thephix]

[It's a small gesture, but it's reassuring, calming, and she watches him inspect her hand without comment, until he addresses her.]

Anne and Lisbeth are quite a handful.

[She feels guilty saying it, since she can understand why both of them are so upset, why Anne throws herself into keeping the house spotless, why Lisbeth has so much anger thrumming under her skin.

But it's exhausting; it's been a long time since she looked after people this way, instead of being able to keep them at a distance.]

[bumbles]

( It seems like evasion and admission at the same time, and Donny nods, kissing the back of her hand and watching her a moment before drawing her back into a hug. )

I've g-got your back.

( Very quiet, and he's not even sure how she'd respond to we're a team, if she still might draw back, be uncomfortable in that. ) I'm, um. I'm here for you.

( To help with handfulls or-- anything. He'd still do anything for her. )

[thephix]

[She slips her arms around his waist, this time, anchoring herself in the warmth and simple steadiness of his body in her arms.]

Anne will be glad to see you, I should think. She's lost quite a lot, recently.

[bumbles]

Mm.

( And he'd be glad to see her, certainly, though he hugs Max a little tighter, kisses her temple. )

I'll d-do what I can.

( Although he has noticed that she is just talking about other people. Oh, Max. Despite himself, he smiles against her skin. ) Your hair smells nice.

( You always say that, his Max would say, and the habitual banter would play out. )

[thephix]

Thank you.

[Maybe he'll have better luck with her than Max does, maybe just his presence will make things easier, like it does for her. She tucks her head aginst the crook of his neck, breathing him in even as he comments on the smell of her hair.

But she does't know what to say to that, really, so she doesn't say anything.]

[bumbles]

( He never really had a great deal of success when it came to speaking to Lady Anne. It had always had that potential for derailing into a complete mess, actually, but he was fond of her. It was so strange to be pulling together memories that had been absent for two years, that had been removed from having any influence on how he had changed. How different would he be now, if he had remembered Exsilium? Who would he be?

There's a conflict between too many thoughts, currents under the surface and the dragging up of who he was last time he was here. Almost a panic in that, and for all that he's calmer now, he hugs Max closer, nervousness edging in. Calm mixed in with the chaos. )