striketwice | reverie⚡inbox

[ He's still looking at Henry, trying to read the subtleties of his expression, to figure out how that really makes him feel. ]

But does some part of you hope she will?

[Nothing to hide around Alec. No reason he would want to. His face is shadowed with a conflicted look, dim but still there.]

Yes. I made a promise to her. I don’t want to break that.

[ Alec knows well enough by now how to read the minutiae of Henry's expressions, and how something so small can be indicative of something much, much bigger. That Henry wants to salvage anything at all is huge.

He reaches out, rests a hand over Henry's own. ]

Then we'll figure it out.

[He can read him better than anyone. Even when he's wearing his mask of congeniality, Henry knows Alec's learned to see through it as though it were never there.

He turns his hand palm-up, fingers gently curling around his.]

We'll give it some time first. ["We" makes it feel like it isn't an impossibility.] I doubt she wants to see me right this very moment. And I still don't feel at one hundred percent.

No, I bet you don't.

[ Tearing his way through at least three people was probably hell on Henry's powers. ]

Still, it'd be good if I knew what exactly we're walking into with Sprezzatura.

[Henry continues to look hesitant as he searches Alec’s face.]

After I broke her arm, I invaded her mind. We fought there, too. And then I decided to leave.

[And maybe, somehow, that is where their friendship saved them. That he didn’t kill her on the spot while she was trapped in her own mind must be a testament to something. Too bad that doesn’t feel like it helps matters.

Too bad it gets worse-]

And I left her inside of her own mind for a short while. She…

[He trails… off.]

She what?

[ Alec isn't angry, for whatever it might be worth. He could never be truly mad at Henry, anyway, but in this instance especially, he just wants to help. ]

Come on. We can't fix it if I don't know what's broken.

[Alec would have eased it out of him, regardless. Guilt feels like a… burden. He doesn’t like it. It makes his words heavy.]

She burned. I left her alone in her own mind, with nothing but flames to eat her alive. To feel the pain that I feel when I’m burning.

[ If that's how Henry treated a friend, he'd hate to see what he does to an actual enemy. ]

Jesus... does that like, I don't know. Have a lingering effect? Do you think she's okay?

[The difference is that he feels no remorse for what he does to his enemies. They deserve all of it.]

Physically, she should be fine. Mentally? Everyone is different.

[But Henry specializes in causing trauma, so. Probably not good.]

But I would guess she won’t… like fire, not for a long time.

[Like him!]

Alright well. I can start by asking Rebecca how she's doing and we can go from there. Baby steps. Until then...

[ He reaches for Henry fully now, curling his arms around him and drawing him close. ]

Let's get some rest.

[Rebecca, the one who body slammed him, you mean?

The way Henry just sort of sinks into Alec, still so very tired despite the rest he’s managed to get.

He thinks he can feel his heartbeat.]

I’m glad you’re here.

[It doesn’t need to be reiterated and yet, it does.]

[ They can both flop back on the bed together, for a little while. He keeps Henry nestled against his chest, where he can hear his heartbeat. ]

I'm glad I'm here too.

[He’s practically slotted in as close as he can be, listening to the steady beat of Alec’s heart. That critical part of himself, now returned to him.]

…Like this, I’ll just fall asleep again.

[Hold him like this until he does?]

That's kind of the point.

[ He will. Of course he will. In truth, they both need the rest. So, just like this, they can drift off together. ]

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