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Ashton takes labored breaths in and out as he feels the rest of the room watching him. Through his frustrations he can barely see the now cracked and mangled wooden wall in front of them. They flex their knuckle and focus on the way the splinters embedded there scrape against his rough skin. There’s a moment where FCG and Imogen reach out and they do their best to not wince as they turn and face the rest of the party.
He examines the room. Laudna has that permanent look of intrigue on her face. Orym is studying him up and down with those incredibly calculated and efficient eyes. Chetney looks like he’s the one in pain as his head whips from Ashton’s knuckle to the beat up wood. They smirk a bit at his expense; at least that made him feel a little better.
Fearne isn’t looking at him or anyone. She’s handing Mister some sort of treat and she begins to grip the handle of his hammer. Ashton approaches her as he heads towards the door. She gingerly hands it to them, “You good?” she asks in the process. He brushes her off with non-commitment as he heads outside.
The cool air helps as he tries to come to grips with what the fuck just happened. He never clocked how much of that night he truly has missed until he was sucked back into Jiana’s schemes. That crate in her office a glowing beacon of a clue that made their head ache and burn with the missing pieces. What the fuck was that vile and what the fuck were they fucking doing there in the first place. He didn’t like the answer Milo gave him, and he hopes they and everyone else just…stays safe while he’s gone.
They have half an impulse to take their hammer and go smash some more shit, but they know it’s counter productive. He knows he should just take a few deep breaths and go back upstairs to everyone else and go the fuck to sleep before their travels tomorrow, but his skin is buzzing. The gold veins feel hot and he can see out of the corner of his eye that the glass on his face is shining bright in the moonlight.
He lets out a groan and swings his hammer once, twice, three times into the ground before letting go and slumping down next to it. His breathing picks up again and he closes his eyes to try and control it. He’s too tired now, he can’t find the energy. They begin to pick out the splinters.
He’s enraged by how trapped he feels. Trapped in a body that’s sometimes too hard and too heavy. Trapped in a never ending contract with a woman who’s constantly two steps ahead. Trapped with a mind that can sometimes barely hold on to what he has for breakfast. He bites down hard on his own jaw and grinds his teeth. Tears sting their eyes and for a quick thought they almost let them fall before a voice rings out.
“I can help with that,” it says. Ashton jumps and turns toward the sound. He looks up at Fearne who stands behind him with her head cocked in the usual way as she takes another step closer.
“Gods, Fearne…” They say, shifting to face her as she sits in front of him now.
“Sorry did I disturb you, I can go if-”
“No no, you can stay it’s fine I just thought you’d be asleep with the others,” they cut her off, maybe a little too quickly. No time to dwell on it now though, he thinks.
Fearne smiles and looks down towards his hands. Speechlessly, she reaches out and takes them. Her hands are colder than he’d thought they’d be, or maybe it’s just how hot he still feels from the day’s adventures.
Still neither of them talk as Fearne focuses on the injured one. She takes it in both of hers now and runs a finger along their knuckles.
He watches as the wound begins to move and the raw skin puts itself back together. The splinters fall out on their own and he looks everywhere but her face as she brings his hand up to her mouth and kisses it. She lets go and he grabs hold of a clump of grass beside him.
“Th-thank you,” they say, “You didn’t have to. Didn’t hurt that bad.”
She watches their face a little longer. She lingers on his eyes where he knows are still signs of the tears that almost fell moments earlier. She smiles, “My pleasure, Ashton,” she says.
Ashton takes the slightest hesitation before deciding to not deal with whatever this was happening between these two misfits and he pops to their feet quickly and clears his throat, “We should head back in. Long day tomorrow,” they say. He holds out a hand for her which she takes. After she stands there is a lingering moment of something before she lets go of it.
The walk back to the room is silent as Ashton is now acutely aware of where his hands are as they grip to his hammer.
They both make it back inside and to the door to their room. Fearne leans in and kisses the good side of his head. “I’ll see you in the morning then,” she says.
All they can do is nod as they both enter the room. The others all appear to be asleep, but there’s the slightest movement from Orym that says otherwise.
He makes his way pointedly to the bed Fearne doesn’t take and he tries his hardest to fall asleep thinking of her and not the echoes of Milo’s screams.