milliways_bar | (no subject)

He flinches. And blinks rapidly, shaking his head, because his vision is doing something weird.

"I don't feel like playing."

"Silly boy. Silly, beautiful boy. You say that as though you have a choice in the matter."

She smiles.

"You're shaking, Alex."

He struggles to his feet, barely gracing himself with the back of the booth. His limbs are frighteningly weak, and his vision is swimming.

"What the fuck did you do to me?"

"It's all part of the game, Alex. I like to play. You and the pointy one are fun."

She stands up and goes to stand next to Alex, smiling gently.

"So fractured you are. Let's see what's inside."

She slides her hands into Alex's hair, still smiling.

It hurts. That's about all he has cognizant thought for. Part of him wants to scream but his voice won't work, and all that escapes is a soft whimper.

"Sshhh. Sshh, beautiful boy, it'll be over soon, for the moment. Just need to... ah..."

She smiles and strokes his face with one cold hand.

"That's what I needed. Good boy."

She looks at him and makes a soft sound of disapproval.

"Mortals are so fragile. Did that truly hurt so badly? Tsk. I should give you back to the pointy one and let him take care of you."

Nick--

He flinches away from her, barely keeping on his feet.

NickNickNickNickNick

She shifts her grip to his shoulders to keep him from falling, and he lets out an involuntary whimper.

NickNickNickNickNick

She sighs and shakes her head.

"Back to the pointy one for you, beautiful boy."

She leans in and kisses him, pushing her way back into his mind and nudging a few synapses, leaching consciousness. Not completely, but enough to make him pliant. He all but collapses in her arms, and she lifts him as easily as though he was a child.

"The pointy one will look after you until the next move."

She goes upstairs and locates the room that the beautiful boy and the pointy one share, and leaves him on the floor outside the door. She knocks once, loudly, then steps back into the shadows and disappears.

Nick blinks at the noise and shuffles over to the door. He opens it, eyes bleary...and then wide open.

"Alex? Alex?!"

Alex makes a soft whimpering sound, eyes closed, fists clenched hard enough to make his fingernails bite into his palms.

NickNickNickNickNick

Nick's on the ground, checking him over within a minute. Nothing. Nothing nothing NOTHING.

"Alex. Alex, what's wrong? Alex, what happened? Who left you here? Who did this to you?

LOVE. CONCERN. REASSURANCE. CALM.

"I-I don't--"

He struggles into a half-sitting position, his head spinning.

"She -- she knew the -- the other one, the one who -- who hurt me before--"

He blinks.

"Go into the room, Alex. Just...go into the room for a moment. Stay there...and keep the door locked until I come back, okay? Don't open the door for anyone but Alanna or myself. Can you do that?"

He sighs, realizing he probably can't, and lifts Alex up, putting him into the bed a moment later. Removes shoes and tucks him in. Presses a kiss to his forehead.

Grabs one of Alex's swords.

Heads downstairs and locks the door behind him.

He curls up on his side, back to the door, shivering and crying silently.