[ Rhys lags behind Angel in messaging Beckett, trapped in a sort of shell-shocked daze. He'd blame it on a dream but dreams aren't this painful.
Pain.
Maybe that's why they were late. Why they're out and everyone else is in. Isn't he slower than usual, hard to get started in the morning, limpy and full of complaints? 'Maybe' is being generous, huh. ]
[By the time the tablet pings with the second message, Beckett is past the moment of blazing cold shock. He can more or less process again. Or not process - he can communicate, but processing is taking its time. Congratulations, Rhys, you are treated to the full sight of the situation hitting him again, cracking the faint scab of enforced calm. He flinches, one fang catching his lower lip as he grits his teeth.]
You've traveled with me, you know I - I-I wasn't fast enough, wh... w-wasn't -- didn't realize we wouldn't make it. I should have had us stop.
I'm s-s-sorry --
[ Acquiesce to video, okay. He shouldn't hide behind text. Rhys' voice chokes, and he doesn't even bother to wipe the tears. The cold wind is drying them rapidly anyway. ]
Yes... you should've. [It's not an accusation. His tone is faint, the words almost lost into his chest as he briefly hangs his head. He imagines Rhys pushing himself, trying so damnably hard not to slow down, not to be a burden. He wouldn't have made the same mistake as well, but Rhys and Angel are so young, so young.]
It doesn't matter. If anything it's my fault for not coming to you. Don't... Rhys, you love each other like brother and sister, don't you?
[ Angel would be blaming herself as well, her short legs. Near the end he'd practically carried her, one-armed he may be, but powered by adrenaline and fear.
They didn't know the area. There was no door. They may have ran straight past. ]
We just w-wanna... wanted to see -
[ "You" is stolen by the wind and a hiccup. He's glad, highly aware how juvenile it makes him sound.
I know. We all made a mistake. [He slows down as Rhys becomes more agitated, set, if nothing else, on keeping hold of himself and not making it worse. If it can at all get worse, when the ones he loves are freezing to death just outside a locked door.]
Maybe we'll get to learn from it. But for now... listen to me. Tell her. If there's anything you meant to and never did, if there's anything... you want to tell me and never did, do it now. Just in case.
[ His gaze goes every which way before settling back on Beckett, eye glassy and bright. He hasn't ever said it, has he? To Angel, yeah. Not Beckett. Guy's gotten soft, but not shmoopy.
Not with Rhys.
But. If there was ever a time... ]
You... know, you. Th-that I love you. I-I'm pretty obvious about it, but you deserve to hear it.
[If he ever wanted shmoopy, there is his chance, right there. Beckett is a grand champion of turning away open displays of affection with a barbed comment. And he's actually fairly good at expressing affection when he does want to. But all of it is and has always been restricted by the nature of his world, his life, his kind. What can any of them really feel, the blood-drinking damned?
He knows better now. He understands things that only true death could have taught him. He looks Rhys right in the eye.]
I - you deserve to hear that I am proud of you. The things you've done. The man you are, regardless of what anyone else might think. I'm - this is - you are my friend, Rhys. A better friend that I've often deserved.
[ He knew too, he's known for a long time, yet hearing it all aloud releases a great deal of tension and anxiety in his shoulders and he visibly calms despite the situation. Despite all the snot and Ghibli tears. ]
You don't give yourself enough credit, Beckett. You're a triple-century old badass, and one of the best men I know, knew, will know -- all the tenses, forever and always.
And I - I'm pretty damn great myself - [ laughter ] -- you're right. We both are.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2017-06-20 11:01 pm (UTC)Pain.
Maybe that's why they were late. Why they're out and everyone else is in. Isn't he slower than usual, hard to get started in the morning, limpy and full of complaints? 'Maybe' is being generous, huh. ]
It's my fault.
video;
Date: 2017-06-21 07:48 pm (UTC)What - what did you do?
video;
Date: 2017-06-21 08:47 pm (UTC)I'm s-s-sorry --
[ Acquiesce to video, okay. He shouldn't hide behind text. Rhys' voice chokes, and he doesn't even bother to wipe the tears. The cold wind is drying them rapidly anyway. ]
video;
Date: 2017-06-23 05:00 pm (UTC)It doesn't matter. If anything it's my fault for not coming to you. Don't... Rhys, you love each other like brother and sister, don't you?
Re: video;
Date: 2017-06-23 05:45 pm (UTC)They didn't know the area. There was no door. They may have ran straight past. ]
We just w-wanna... wanted to see -
[ "You" is stolen by the wind and a hiccup. He's glad, highly aware how juvenile it makes him sound.
Breathing. Nodding. ]
We do. Yeah...
video;
Date: 2017-06-23 06:02 pm (UTC)Maybe we'll get to learn from it. But for now... listen to me. Tell her. If there's anything you meant to and never did, if there's anything... you want to tell me and never did, do it now. Just in case.
video;
Date: 2017-06-23 07:41 pm (UTC)[ His gaze goes every which way before settling back on Beckett, eye glassy and bright. He hasn't ever said it, has he? To Angel, yeah. Not Beckett. Guy's gotten soft, but not shmoopy.
Not with Rhys.
But. If there was ever a time... ]
You... know, you. Th-that I love you. I-I'm pretty obvious about it, but you deserve to hear it.
video;
Date: 2017-06-27 07:46 pm (UTC)He knows better now. He understands things that only true death could have taught him. He looks Rhys right in the eye.]
I - you deserve to hear that I am proud of you. The things you've done. The man you are, regardless of what anyone else might think. I'm - this is - you are my friend, Rhys. A better friend that I've often deserved.
video;
Date: 2017-06-29 06:21 am (UTC)[ He knew too, he's known for a long time, yet hearing it all aloud releases a great deal of tension and anxiety in his shoulders and he visibly calms despite the situation. Despite all the snot and Ghibli tears. ]
You don't give yourself enough credit, Beckett. You're a triple-century old badass, and one of the best men I know, knew, will know -- all the tenses, forever and always.
And I - I'm pretty damn great myself - [ laughter ] -- you're right. We both are.