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Jericho woke the next morning to find Veryl still wrapped in his arms, it looked as though she'd barely moved. His arm still banded around her waist, and her head still tucked closely to his chest. It was a far cry from the way sleep usually treated them both.
Soft light streamed in through the single window of the messy one room flat, rousing him gently. He'd slept much better than usual, and from the way she breathed steadily against him, it seemed she had too. It was starting to become somewhat of a strange habit between friends. Though, he couldn't argue it an unwelcome one.
It was quiet save for the early morning bustle of neighbors overhead and small indications of routine outside the door. Slowly, as his companion began to stir, he loosened his hold on her; it allowed her room to wake up and stretch. Pops and cracks accompanied a yawn and he watched as Veryl extended her muscles in an exceedingly feline manner. A soft chuckle escaped him as he studied her sleepy expression. It was some cross between begrudgingly alert and two steps from what he thought might be pure contentment.
That seemed like a good sign. He'd worked to release magic through the places they had made contact, hoping to ease any pain she might be in. It wasn't much, but he hoped it helped nonetheless.
"Good morning." He spoke gently, trying to harmonize with the silence of the small room. She gave a gentle hum in response and nestled further into her pillow. "How's the leg?" He was relieved to see the color had returned to her face after she'd lost so much blood the night before.
Looking up at him with heavy eyes, Veryl groaned. "Sore. Feels like someone stabbed it," she said dryly.
His eyes crinkled with a smile at her attempt at humor, somehow ever-present, despite whatever pain she happened to be in. "Mind if I take a look?"
With a shrug, Veryl carefully moved to an upright position, keeping her bandaged leg extended. The makeshift bandages had held, as did the stitches. They had discussed Mourn Watch training as he watched her stitch herself back together, deft with the needle and thread, even as it pierced her own flesh. After thorough inspection, they determined there were no obvious signs of infection or other complications. The five expertly administered stitches would heal, but leave her with yet another scar.
Just another story, she'd assured him.
Satisfied that she would make a decent recovery, he vacated his spot in their little haven. Turning to regard her when she moved to follow him, he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do you want met to get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Breakfast?"
"No need. I'll go." Veryl slowly made to pull herself out of the bed. "I have some things to take care of."
"Are you sure? You can stay here and rest." He moved to help her, prepared to catch her if her injured leg couldn't take the weight.
"I need to go meet with a contact. About cleaning up last night's mess." She winced as she stood, but managed to stay upright, without his help. "I should've gone last night but, you know, blood gets sticky after a while." She gestured to her bandaged leg.
"Ver…" He started, but stopped the vocalization of the thought, knowing he would never talk her out of going anywhere. She was far too stubborn to rest. "At least let me go with you? In case you need help, or someone to lean on." He glanced at her knowingly, trying to appeal to her sense of reason. "I'd hate to find you bleeding out in a ditch later."
"I promise it would be a really nice ditch." Smiling, she gave a quick eye roll and relented. "Fine. I guess I owe you breakfast after your help last night." She softly patted his arm and went off to find a change of clothes.
—
The walk was hampered by Veryl's injury but they made their way along Dock Town's sparsely populated streets at an even pace. Ambling clouds overhead threatened more than the normal drizzle, giving everything a darker cast than usual. When he had asked about her contact, if it was someone he might know, she'd been cagey, if a little hesitant to give away their identity. She'd welcomed him to come along but she couldn't promise her contact wouldn't be odd about it.
But as they approached the docks, and Veryl's contact came in to view, Jericho felt that sadly familiar cold wash sink into his nerves. A shorter man, with dark hair, and angular features, stood in his typical spot in the market; the one he always took up should someone need to seek him out.
"El…" Jericho's heart constricted in his chest as they came face to face, Elek's name a broken whisper on his lips.
Elek didn't try to hide his surprise. "Jer! Long time no see." He smirked in that damnable way that he knew got under Jericho's skin. "And with…Veryl, of all people?"
Elek's dark eyebrows knitted together, but the confusion didn't linger. Jer didn't hesitate to let her go when Veryl moved to stand on her own, instead choosing to focus on breathing and his own ability to stay upright.
One direct look and he knew he would crumple. Gone were the softening affects of this morning; the relaxation he had earned in the company of the woman next to him, withered away under the subtle inspection of the man opposing him. Memories he once counted as comfort, flashed through his mind against his better instinct; that distinct ache joining the discordant visions.
How long had it been? Hours? Moments? He needed to go, too much was too long. He could no longer stand it.
Outside his rushing mind he barely registered as Veryl grinned at her contact. Her friend? "Elek. Had a favor to ask…" She glanced at Jericho curiously. "Uh, but it seems like we might have some catching up to do first?"
Refusing to make eye contact, Jericho stared at his feet, shifting uncomfortably.
"Catching- Ah… so you two don't…?" Elek started with a gesturing finger between the two, piecing together that neither of them knew how the other knew him. He rubbed his hands together. "Let's get all this out into the open, shall we?" He gave a pause that felt like it was for dramatic effect. The stinging sensation behind Jericho's eyes only grew with the beat of silence.
"Jer, Veryl's a… somewhat recent acquaintance. But certainly a good one." He winked at her, and Jericho flushed uncomfortably, realizing what Elek meant. "And, Veryl. Jer's…an old flame." The decision to linger on the definition wasn't lost on the subject. The equation of time, words, and deeply felt emotions- boiled down to just a few words. The air in his lungs suddenly felt thick and hard to turn into something he could breathe out.
"We've known each other… oh, about year and a half?" Elek's words were flippant, lacking the depth Jericho once knew them to carry. He was speaking to Veryl, but Jericho chanced a glance. What was he searching for? He couldn't know, but he thought he saw something in Elek's eyes that betrayed the hint of a feeling.
Veryl's face betrayed her surprise, and Jericho suddenly felt nauseous. He barely heard their conversation as they discussed the favor Veryl needed; he was aware of the inquisitive look she sent his way. His heart was aching in a way that he hadn't felt in months. He avoided Elek for a reason. Whenever he started to heal, even a brief thought of Elek could make him come undone. Seeing him in person… he thought he might shatter. And Veryl? She'd been with Elek too? Casually, it seemed, but that didn't numb the sting.
With a sudden pang, he realized that he wasn't sure which hurt worse. That Elek had been with someone else, someone he cared about - or that Veryl had done the same.
It shouldn't have mattered.
Feeling like he no longer had the option of breathing, he excused himself from their presence and wandered away.
—
Veryl and Elek both watched Jericho walk away, neither of them fully able to hide their concern from one another. But Elek was quick to shift back to business.
"I'll have someone out there to clean it up within the hour." Smirking, he retrieved a coin from his pocket and flipped it between his knuckles. "Try to leave 'em breathing next time though?"
"No promises," Veryl smirked, but her eyes were on the coin. She'd recognize the small bauble anywhere; something he'd once used as a calling card. "It was his, wasn't it?" Her tone was decidedly darker as she landed the conclusion with the flip of the faux metal into his palm.
Elek's grin faltered, his large brown eyes narrowing. "Now, what would make you think that?"
Veryl watched as the coin flipped expertly between each of his fingers. "You told me it was from a friend, but wouldn't elaborate."
He wasn't paying enough attention when he flipped it with his thumb. On impulse, she snatched it mid air, and pulled it back when he reached for it.
"…and yet as soon as Jericho walks away, here you are fiddling with it, like it's some kind of nervous tick." She paused, knowing her next thought would have him on the defensive. "He was important to you."
"Is important to me. If you must know." His eyebrows lowered and his voice lost its light tone. He held his palm out flat, an unsubtle invitation to return his possession.
When she didn't return it immediately, he huffed, "Jer has Thread protection. My personal protection." Elek's lips formed a firm line, twitching into a deeper frown with the emphasis. He leaned close, a threat thinly veiled, "If you want any more than that, you'll have to get it out of him."
He held his palm out again, more insistent, and Veryl slowly held it over his waiting hand. The smile that knew too much returned. "Good luck with that though."
She snatched her hand back, holding it aloft and daring the shorter man to step into her space. "What do you mean by that?"
Elek affected a nonplussed air and leaned away, dropping out of the darker demeanor that belied the wolf under all the fine tailoring. "Well, considering your surprise that he knows me at all, I can only assume I'm another dark little secret he keeps locked up in that pretty head of his." Elek's grin grew wider. Veryl frowned, aware that he knew the effect he had on people.
She sighed, opening her palm to allow him to retrieve the trinket. It occurred to her belatedly, how spooked Jericho must have been, running into Elek unprepared like this. The man in question gave her an expectant look, anticipating the question before she even formed the thought. "Do you at least know where he might have gone?"
Elek responded by finally pocketing the coin, offering an arm for Veryl to lean on. "I know exactly where he is."
—
An old haunt. A quiet spot where he was rarely bothered and could sit and watch the water in silence. It was also where everything had ended with Elek. He tried to remind himself that those particular memories didn't matter right now; he simply craved the comfort of the waves.
Alone, Jericho sat with his knees pulled to his chest, his head leaned forward to rest against them. He listened intentionally for the sound of the gentle current, hoping it might drown out his thoughts. They receded far enough that he didn't notice when Veryl approached, even though her gait was more distinct than usual.
Her voice through his reverie had him jumping in his skin. "Do you come here a lot?" She sat down next to him, careful of her injury.
Jericho looked up to see her settle herself next to him and Elek a short distance away, just out of earshot. He tried not to think of the last time he'd been on this stretch of sand with him. The water quickly regained his attention.
"Yeah. The water keeps me calm." A heavy sigh worked it's way out, "I'm sorry for leaving you back there. I just… It's been awhile, since I've seen him. I wasn't ready."
In a bid to lighten the mood, Veryl nudged his arm. "So, Elek got you too, huh?"
He understood the sentiment behind her words, but she couldn't have picked a worse time to say it. He looked at her with a hint of tears in his eyes- tears he'd clearly been fighting for a time. "It wasn't like that. I loved him, Ver. He meant everything to me."
Veryl grimaced, she was making a mess of this. "I'm sorry, I had no idea you and he… I mean- I never would have- he never mentioned- "
"He wouldn't have. That's not like him." Jericho turned back to the water. The storm above them felt too similar to the one that roiled inside, both threatening a deluge at any moment.
The silence grew between them as Veryl tapped at her legs. She tried again, "If it makes you feel better, I pushed him into the water, right over there." She pointed to a pier on the other side of the inlet. "Just 'cause I felt like it. Ruined one of his really nice outfits. Consider it my revenge for you." It wasn't a good offer, but it was the only one she had.
Jericho sighed and finally turned to make full eye contact with her. "I'm not looking for revenge. I don't hate him… I'm not even mad at him. I just… it was my fault anyway."
"Now that can't be true," She placed a hand against his arm, offering what little comfort she could.
"He never knew, Ver. I couldn't tell him. You know more about me than he ever did, but if you hadn't found out the way you did… I wouldn't have told you either." Jericho forced his eyes shut in an effort to stop the tears that were still threatening to fall.
"He knew I was keeping my past from him, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him." A deep shaky breath. "I kept my secrets, and we both kept our feelings to ourselves. It ruined everything. It all ended… right here. A few months ago."
"Shit… I'm sorry, Jer." Veryl gently rubbed his shoulder as she processed yet another secret she was likely never meant to know. Silently, the both contemplated the inlet with all of its subtle movements while thunder rumbled in the distance.
"I don't know if it helps at all," Veryl started. Jericho gave her a pitiful look, and she considered her previous attempt at help. She held her hands up in defense, "No really - he knew exactly where to find you. Said you had his personal protection." She chuckled and relaxed her hands back to her lap. "I'm actually seventy-four percent sure it was a credible threat. I think he still cares about you."
He glanced in Elek's direction as he kept watch over their discussion, ensuring they wouldn't be disturbed. "I know he does. He promised he'd look out for me." He shook his head. "Didn't realize how seriously he was going to take that promise."
Rubbing the back of his neck, Jericho gave an apologetic look to his friend. "I didn't think he'd move on so fast though."
Veryl shrugged before trying another thought, "Would it help if I told you it was only once, many, many nights ago? I didn't even know his name- at the time." It was Veryl's turn to look repentant. She was seriously reconsidering her ability to comfort someone in need.
"It shouldn't matter. We'd already ended things. I didn't even know you yet… not that it matters… we're not… we're just friends." He stammered, realizing that he was no longer sure exactly what they were. She was so much closer than any friend had ever been. "It shouldn't hurt like this, but it does." Jericho paused for a moment, thinking, not sure how much he wanted to know. "How did you end up with him anyway?"
Veryl gave him a serious look and placed an elbow on the leg she could still bend. "He gave me a roof over my head for one night and then helped me disappear before I could be found." She considered that thought and added, "Technically, I'm still in hiding. Point being, I owe him a lot." And out of the side of her mouth she said, "The sex was just okay." One of her hands raised to emphasize her opinion as it wobbled back and forth.
That finally got a small laugh out of the tender-hearted man beside her. "Okay, I know that last part is a lie. Something had to draw you in other than him helping you though."
Ver smiled coyly, cupped a hand around her mouth and leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, "It's that stupid smile of his." Dropping the hand away she shook her head at him. "Maker, the things it does to the insides."
He blushed, but laughed, the almost tears finally gone from his eyes. "Yeah, that always gets me too. And I think he knows it."
Veryl started to stand, but struggled to put weight on her leg. Jericho stood, offered his hand and pulled her up. Finally back on her feet, she gave him a grateful smile. "I think I still owe you breakfast."
As they departed, Jericho gave Elek a polite nod as he passed, unable to offer anything more without breaking again. But Elek took Veryl by the wrist and pulled her aside, tweaking her bad leg as she tried to catch up with his action. He spoke lowly for her ears only.
"Take care of him, alright? He deserves better than just a one night stand. No matter how good." There was no hint of humor in his voice.
"Elek, we're not…" Veryl flushed at the notion, shaking her head to make sure the message was clear.
"Does he know that? Because I don't think I'm the only one here that he was hurt by today." Elek cocked an eyebrow.
Veryl steeled her gaze and ripped her arm from his grip. "I'm not going to hurt him," she bit out. "It's not like that."
Elek relaxed as he watched her dust at the place he had gripped her arm. The exhale he pressed out sounded burdened. "Look, he's a good guy, and I'm just looking out for him." He caught her eye. "You'll do the same, yeah?"
"I will. Consider it payment for future favors." She nodded seriously at him.
Elek gave a disbelieving laugh as he walked away, and Veryl returned to Jericho's side. She leaned heavily into his support as his arm opened to catch her weight.
"Everything alright? Jericho asked, unable to stop himself from glancing over his shoulder at Elek's retreating back.
"Peachy," he barely caught the final traces of her smile that didn't quite convince him that she was okay. It felt like there was some kind of indominable shift with this new revelation. A shared secret that would alter their friendship whether they liked it or not.
Veryl squeezed his hand reassuringly, pulling his attention away from the departing form. "Alright Bluebird, where to? I'm starving."
As the unlikely pair walked in that same particular kind of tandem, the skies over Minrathous broke open to give way to a torrent of rain.