Chapter Text
Gamma fed the key to their room then dragged Elwood inside, no words exchanged.
A heavy thunk, and the hastily-wrapped blade was propped flat against the dresser. Shoes broken loose and torn off, Gamma flopped himself onto the dingy mattress and moulded his way into a cocoon from the spread sheets. Elwood took to the paltry amenities of the kitchenette, grip tight on the carry out as he opened the ice box.
With the foods sealed, he padded out the dust on his shirt and tugged the neck with a pang at how the collar had been stretched irreparably thin. Honestly, he was lucky he'd gotten off with just a few bruises given how hard the assailant's grip was on his shoulder when Gamma arrived. He plodded back to the sitting area and sunk into the nearest chair. The skins of the nabbed wallets were tossed to the coffee table. There'd been barely enough to buy lunch.
Figures.
Minutes stretched in silence, broken only by Gamma's snores. He'd have to get used to that, some other day. His mind was still racing. He'd lost track of how many times he'd checked that his hand was still attached. The cut that drove through the bastard's fingers, the bodied snaps as the bone cracked clean… It was visceral. He'd been far too close.
What threatened to drive him ill was a small relief from the ruling thoughts that eventually pulled him under. It was 4:00pm. Sheryl would have insisted on fetching broth around this time, skinning the thin potatoes by hand and brushing away the hurt with a hum as he'd put the plates together. It hadn't even been a day since then. He hadn't slept at all, he hadn't slept before, he—
One stiff exhale, a pinch to the bridge of his nose, it stemmed the stress and the heat of tears that burned. He wedged his back into the raw ends of wood, coiled in the chair, and pulled the blades loose from his pocket. Knives chucked into the scattered wallets on the table.
Gamma rose a few hours later, pulling himself upright and scratching absently at his jaw where skin met nails of blackened armour. Even after all this time, it itched like hell. His gaze drifted across the room, settling on the child that had made himself far too small. He was slumped to one arm, hand askew.
Frown set, Gamma instead hauled himself over to the ice box. When he returned, his hand ghosted over the head of the chair. Elwood's eyes were glazed. When he stayed as unresponsive as one could be asleep propped up like that, Gamma pressed the cold aluminium to his cheek.
He jerked awake.
"What'd you do that for?"
"If you're gonna sleep, don't sleep in a damned chair." He pointed over. "Not when I've paid for two beds."
"Mind your own business! I wasn't sleeping," Elwood curbed, throwing his arm down to catch his fist. "Who goes to bed at four in the afternoon!?"
Why, you…!
Gamma was this close to clocking him, and strained to gather the shreds of inner-will that would stay his ire. Turned away at full height, knowing he wouldn't have been able to continue this thread if he'd looked, his eyes locked on the dusty greys streaking the window, the paper peeling off the edges.
"Wasn't sleeping, or is it that you couldn't?"
It stilled Elwood's hand, his fingers pinched together.
"I will, it's just…"
Gamma lifted the can his way. Elwood accepted it from his grip, popping the tab. One swig and the tremor that swept through him was comical, complete with a jerk as he'd tried to keep the liquid from splattering on the floorboards.
Elwood shoved it back to him.
"I can't drink this."
"Don't give it to me after you've drunk from it!"
The ensuing scuffle brightened Gamma's mood more than he was willing to admit.
"It's apple sarsaparilla tea. There's hardly anything dangerous in it." Elwood eyed the can warily. Gamma smirked. It was full this time, honest. "It'll settle your stomach, and a sugar crash will help you sleep, right? Stop thinking so damned hard. I'm not going to poison you."
Cowed inward, Elwood took to nursing the beverage. It was sweeter than he expected, and had a bite, but there was also an earthy warmth to it that had admittedly calmed his nerves. The tightness in his throat persisted. Pride had rendered him temporarily mute and he wasn't sure when he'd gain the confidence to speak again.
Gamma seemed okay with that. Stood up, he returned to his bag and gathered the binds to re-wrap the blade.
"It's not going to get any easier."
He knew. He knew and he hadn't come all this way just to back down.